Last Hope for Earth
by MezzicStorm
Summary: Complete! GohanVidel! Rammifications from the final battle are sorted out, changing the lives of Gohan and Videl forever!
1. Training for the World Tournament! Somet...

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or anything else except for the characters I make up. Thank you for your time.-M.  
  
  
Gohan screamed through the air. He was late again. If Videl found out, she'd be furious and there'd be no stopping her! He checked his watch again in disbelief. That's the third time this week, and it's only Wednesday, he thought. After several excruciating minutes he finally landed on an island out in the middle of the ocean. The hilltop was perfect for sparring and besides, Videl picked this spot. He looked around and was surprised when he couldn't sense her ki, or energy (bad translation in the English version of the anime-M.) and glanced at his watch again. He shook it to make sure it was working, but it was running fine. The time was exactly 4:45 P.M. and he was fifteen minutes late! He looked around again and broadened his sensing power to try to pick up her ki, but she was nowhere to be found. She wouldn't have forgotten, would she? No, she always looked forward to these training sessions, she was never late! Gohan's confusion rose to concern as he felt a sharp spike rise in the ambient ki of the area and he jumped right before a ki blast exploded where he stood! He flipped in mid-air and landed in a defensive crouch. Dust and rock exploded in the air due to the blast, obscuring his vision.  
"Show yourself!" Gohan demanded.  
"You're late!"  
The dust settled revealing Videl's floating form. Her arms were crossed her chest and her expression was definitely angry.  
"Videl?"  
"Who else?" she shot back, "What's the excuse this time?"  
Gohan was very impressed at how well Videl has done in her training. She was now able to mask her ki signature and her ki blasts were getting stronger by the day. He smiled at her, then realized the position he was in. Her demanding stare bore through him. "It was my turn to do the dishes tonight, and we ate all the food in the house. You've been there, that's a lot of dishes!"  
"That's the third time this week Gohan! The World Tournament is only a week away and I want to be prepared for it!"  
"Don't worry Videl. You shouldn't have any problems at the tournament. You have a great chance to win it, I'm sure!"  
"Oh, there's just one problem, Gohan," she said sarcastically.  
"What's that?"  
"YOU'RE IN THE TOURNAMENT TOO DUMMY!"  
"Oh, yeah! Sorry, Videl! Well, are you ready to begin?"  
She nodded and powered up to her fullest. The ground around her rumbled as her ki sent shockwaves out. Her aura glowed white-hot with her power! Gohan smiled, impressed. He powered up as well, staying at her level. "Let's go," he said, then attacked.  
The day wore on and soon became night. The two combatants squared off a final time and flew at each other. Videl blocked a forward thrust and sent a roundhouse kick in response. Gohan blocked the blow with his forearm and blurred to super-speed. Not to be outdone, Videl did the same. The concussive shockwave of their hits and blocks rocked the hilltop! They moved throughout the island, weaving in and out of palm trees at blazing speeds, punching, kicking, and blocking. Finally, they exited super-speed on the beach. Videl was breathing heavily, and her ki was slowly dropping. She's lasting longer, he noted. Her ki was growing by leaps and bounds every day, even his father, Goku, commented on her strength. She was growing tired, he could tell. She spun at Gohan with a whirlwind kick, instead of blocking, he ducked the attack and brought his fist up. She connected with his fist, causing her to stop the attack and sent her sprawling to the ground. He blurred and caught her gently before she struck the harsh sand.  
"It's…still not enough…to…beat…you," she huffed.  
"You're getting stronger day by day," he said gently. "Don't worry, you did great!"  
She smiled at him weakly. She put her arms around him and smiled. "Really? You think so?"  
"Yeah, trust me. You're a great fighter."  
She giggled in delight. He leaned over to allow her to stand, which she did, but she was a little dazed. She leaned against his chest, almost falling into him. The feeling of his muscles sent shivers down her spine! She looked up at him and noticed that he was blushing like crazy! She grinned at him and traced his chest muscles with one finger. He shivered and she took the opportunity to kiss him full on the lips. Gohan lost his balance and fell to the sand, Videl on top of him.  
"What was that for?"  
"Nothing in particular." She went back to tracing his muscles with her finger. "So, are we still going abroad together after the tournament?"  
"It's okay with my parents. I don't resume my studies for at least another three months, so I don't see a problem with it."  
"Great!" She sighed and leaned her head down on his chest. His hand ruffled her short, dark hair. He lightly kissed her head and wrapped his powerful arms around her.  
"It's a beautiful night out," he said.  
"Mmmm," she replied dreamily. "I don't want it to end."  
Gohan smiled and closed his eyes. Slowly he raised his ki enough that the air swirled around them. Videl raised her head and looked at him questioningly. "Gohan, what are you…"  
"Hush," he replied gently and concentrated. His ki feels different, she thought. His aura blazed blue and enveloped the two of them.  
"Now…concentrate," Gohan said quietly.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Just…concentrate."  
She relaxed and rested her head back down on his chest. She closed her eyes and concentrated, raising her ki to the same level as his. Her aura blazed green as they melded together. The rising ki energies caused Gohan to slowly rise and float above the ground. Videl was totally unprepared for what hit her! She trusted him and that belief caused their ki to merge. Gohan opened his eyes slowly and smiled at her. He gently brought her face up to his. "Now, kiss me," he said quietly. She did, passionately.  
She was assaulted by waves of ki that touched every nerve in her body! It felt like a constant ki blast, but instead of pain there was nothing but pleasure! After several seconds she released him from her kiss. They gently hovered back down to the ground. She looked at him wide-eyed.  
"What…what was that?" she asked breathlessly.  
"Oh, just a little something I've been working on," he said nonchalantly.  
"Just a little something?"  
"Yeah," he grinned, "you like it?"  
She just nodded her head and sighed as she rested on his chest again. She was breathing hard, it was like another training session, but different! She felt spent and her body tingled all over. Gohan held her, listening to the waves crash against the beach. He felt her steady heartbeat and the gentle throbbing of her ki. He could tell that she had fallen asleep. It amazed him at times how they had started their relationship. Her competitive nature clashed with his on more than a few occasions, but, somehow, they gravitated towards each other. He was quite thankful for that! He really loved her, despite the heckles he got from Trunks and Goten. Even Goku got into the act after a while, but it was all in fun. The sounds of the waves crashing against the beach were calming to the strong warrior and he drifted off to sleep, Videl in his arms.  
A large dousing of salt water rudely awakened Gohan! He sputtered and coughed. He heard giggling and wiped the stinging salt water from his eyes. In the night light he could make out Videl standing over him, giggling to herself.  
"What'd you do that for?"  
"It's one of those things that had to be done," she replied laughing.  
"Look at me! I'm drenched!" He stood up and wiped the sand off from his training clothes.   
Videl clutched her sides she was laughing so hard.  
"You think this is funny, huh?" She shook her head and laughed even harder.  
Gohan grinned, "Thanks honey, I love you too." He raised his ki and his aura blazed white. Videl stopped laughing as she looked at him. She read his ki level as it clearly surpassed her own. He held his ki for a few seconds then de-powered. His hair and clothes were as dry as they were before her sneak attack.  
"You've really gotta teach me how to do that kind of thing! Just think on how much money we could save getting rid of all the hairdryers and stuff! My energy bill would go down enormously!"  
"It's not hard," he said matter of factly, "I'll teach you later."  
"Okay."  
Gohan inhaled sharply. "Man, what time is it?" He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost 3 in the morning! "Look at the time! God, mom's gonna kill me!"  
"Don't worry about it," she said. "I told dad that I'd be gone for a day or two. He doesn't mind. Besides, he knows I'm with you and I'll be safe. Your dad, Gokuu, talked to me earlier while you were out and said that I could spend the night at your house for a while, so they know."  
"Well, it is getting pretty late," he commented. "Shall we head back?"  
"Ready when you are."  
"Let's go then!"  
They powered up and took to the air. On the way back, Videl flew in close to Gohan and asked, "So what other 'special techniques' have you been working on?"  
He grinned, "You'll have to wait and see!"  
  
The pair got back later than expected, they helped some farmers douse a fire on the way home. The sun was already poking over the mountaintops when they touched down at Goku's house. They were surprised to see Goku outside going through some training exercises. "Hi, Gohan! Hi Videl!" he said smiling and waving at the weary pair.  
"'Morning dad," Gohan said. Videl nodded at him.  
"How'd your training go?"  
"It went well," Gohan replied. "I see you're training too."  
"Yep, I gotta be at my best if I'm going to win at the Tournament," Goku replied as he stretched.  
"I heard from Trunks that Vegeta entered too." He watched as his father's smile grew, "I know you're looking forward to that."  
"You bet, son. We'll see who's better then." He let out a flurry of punches and began his training in earnest.   
"Watch out," Gohan warned smiling, "you might wind up facing me instead!"  
Goku smiled but didn't say anything.  
Videl stared in wonder at the powerful saiyan. His movements were so fast and his strikes were so sure and powerful. She barely saw his fists and kick amidst the blurred movements, but she heard the air snap with each strike. She shook her head in disbelief wondering if entering the World Tournament was such a good idea. She shuddered at the thought of having to go against him in a match; she didn't stand a chance! She came back to reality, realizing that the door to the house was left open. She shook her head and went in, quietly closing the door behind her.   
The house was small compared to the one she lives in with her father, the former World Champion, Mr. Satan. He was still one of the richest people in the world and was instrumental in helping the world rebuild after the fight with Buu and later when the dead rose from the grave and caused quite a bit of havoc. He knew who really saved the world but respected Goku's decision to remain nameless. He had mellowed as of late, concentrating more on philanthropic pursuits rather than on himself. He has also slowly warmed to the idea of her and Gohan going out. It didn't really matter to her, but she was glad he finally approved. She saw Gohan step out of the shower, water dripped from the towel around his waist. She took a moment to admire his body, noticing all of the scars that ran down his back; evidence of the many horrific battles he endured over his life. He was only a year older than she was, but he'd seen more of the galaxy than almost anyone else on the planet.   
Gohan noticed Videl staring at him, and gave her a quizzical look. "Is something wrong, Videl?" He looked around himself to see if anything was amiss, but he couldn't find anything.  
"N…no," she stammered. "It's my turn," she said stretching as she went to the shower.   
"All right," he said as he yawned. He was tired, and he knew she was as well. He wanted to go to sleep, but he also wanted to go outside and train with his dad for a while. He debated for a second or two before deciding to go to sleep. He and Videl had a good training session and they'd need their rest if they were to continue again later.  
He walked past Goten's room and poked his head in to check his little brother. Goten snored peacefully in his bed that was cluttered with all sorts of toys. He smiled as he looked at the messy room and knew that Chi-Chi would be throwing a fit when she woke up and saw the state of his room. He eventually reached his room, changed into his pajamas and slipped into bed. He was fast asleep by the time Videl joined him.  
  
The sun was going down when they awoke. Chi-Chi had dinner made and the smell was what woke Gohan. His grumbling stomach was what woke up Videl. The got dressed and joined the rest of the family just in time for dinner. "It's about time you sleepy heads woke up," exclaimed Chi-Chi with a smile. "You almost missed dinner!"  
Chi-Chi had prepared their places at the table and she made sure there was enough food for everybody. Goku and Goten were already wolfing down huge quantities of food and Gohan joined them with a gusto like he hadn't eaten in days. Videl noticed that since Gohan had started training her that her appetite had grown as well. She wasn't close to the appetites of the saiyans but she ate all of her food and took seconds as well. She also noticed how casual Chi-Chi and Goku were in respect to Gohan and herself around their house. Her dad would never let her sleep with anyone, let alone her boyfriend! Goku and Chi-Chi didn't seem to mind though. She knew Gohan sure didn't, and she grew quite accustomed to having another body next to her, keeping away the night's cold chill.   
"…And that's the story," Gohan finished.  
"Wow," Goku said. "You're coming along great Videl!"  
"Huh?" she asked. She felt herself blush as she caught herself staring at Gohan. "Sorry, I didn't hear you." She blushed even harder when she saw Goku's smile.  
"I said you're coming along great," he laughed.  
"Uh…thank you," she stammered.  
"If you keep this pace up, you'll be as strong as us in no time," he said.  
Videl brightened a bit, "Really? You really think so?"  
"Sure," Gohan replied. "We both know what a great fighter you are."  
"Yeah," Goku said, "Krillin told me yesterday that he dreads meeting you in the tournament. You got him running scared!"  
Her eyes bugged wide. "Is EVERYONE in this tournament?" she said in disbelief. To her horror both Goku and Gohan nodded.  
"Yaumcha and Tien are the only ones who haven't entered yet," Goku said. "I don't think Yaumcha will enter anyway, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tien shows up."  
"Even…Piccolo?" she asked, her voice now barely a whisper.  
"You bet," the saiyans answered in unison. "He wouldn't miss this for the world," said Gohan.  
"Great," she said sullenly. "There's no way I could stand five seconds against any of you guys!"  
"Remember," Goku said lifting a finger, "we're not allowed to go super-saiyan, so that should even the field a bit."  
"That's some consolation," she said sarcastically. She hurriedly finished her food and got up from the table in a rush. She grabbed Gohan's arm and tugged it.  
"What're you doing Videl?" he asked.  
"We're going to go train," she said matter of factly.  
"B-but," he stammered as he was forced out of his chair, "I haven't finished dinner yet!"  
Goku smiled inwardly as he heard the protests of his son slowly die out as they left the house. He looked over at Chi-Chi and saw her looking over at the open front door with a wistful expression on her face. "What is it Chi-Chi?" he asked as he got up from the table and started gathering the dishes.  
"Those two," she said sighing. "Isn't it wonderful?"  
"Huh?"  
"Videl will make a great wife," she said. "They're perfect together!"  
"I hope he knows what he's getting into," Goku muttered.  
"What was that?" Chi-Chi said angrily.  
"What? Uh…nothing dear!" Then he dropped the dishes.  
"OH! Goku!" she yelled.  
  
Gohan and Videl spent the next two days at their little island retreat, spending most of their time training. The pair lay in each other's arms on the beach at the end of the second day, resting after a full day of exhaustive training. The waves gently crashed against the beach and a cool breeze kept most of the hot night air at bay. She lay on top of him, her head resting contentedly against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair affectionately and noticed that she was sleeping contentedly. She was pushing herself pretty far, he thought. She was able to raise her ki higher now and she was getting faster. Still, she needed more rest to recover than usual. She's pushing too far, he thought. If we keep up at this pace she could injure herself, or worse, I could if I don't watch what I'm doing. He resolved to cut back on the intensity of her training starting in the morning. She'd be upset, but he couldn't take the chance that something might go wrong.  
He was drifting off to sleep when he felt the ambient ki in the area start to rise. Instantly alert, he felt Videl wake up too. "What is it?" she asked quietly, her eyes darted across the beach.  
"I don't know. The ki is rising here."  
"I feel…violence," she said as they got up and assumed defensive stances.   
He nodded in acknowledgment. She was already able to feel the different auras of ki he noticed. But he'd have to congratulate her later. "Stay behind me," he said.  
"There's no need," a guttural voice said from above.  
The pair looked up and they smiled in surprise. "Piccolo!" they exclaimed in unison.  
"What're you doing here?" asked Gohan.  
"I gathered everyone I could on such short notice. New Namek's in trouble."  
"New Namek? Let's go!" He raised his ki a bit and shot off into the air.  
"Gohan, wait up!" Videl yelled. She raised her ki and sped off after them.  
"It's too dangerous," Piccolo said angrily. "You should stay here."  
"I'm going," she shot back, "and that's final."  
"Videl, maybe you should stay behind on this one," Gohan said, trying to be diplomatic about it, but seeing her look told him that it was no use.  
"So, what's going on Piccolo?"  
"I'm not sure Gohan. Dende lost contact with New Namek and we're going to find out what happened."  
The trio quickly made it to the Lookout Tower where Goku, Krillin, Vegeta, Trunks, and Goten were already preparing to leave. Dende and Mr. Popo were filling in the rest of the group on what happened. Goku saw them land and raised his hand. "Hey Gohan! Are you ready to go?'  
"Yeah dad." He looked around him with a quizzical look. "Where's Yaumcha, Tien and Chaozu?'  
"We don't have the time to find them," Piccolo answered. "We have to go now."  
"Hey," Videl spoke up, "what about me? I want to go too!"  
Goku shook his head, "I'm sorry, Videl. It's too dangerous. You'll have to stay here."  
She looked at Gohan pleadingly, but all he could do was shrug his shoulders. She saw the looks of grim determination on all of their faces, but she really wanted to be there with them…no…with him. She walked up to Gohan and took his hand in hers. "Gohan," she started.  
"Yes Videl? Look, I'm sorry you can't go with us. I'll make it up to you when we get back, I promise." She couldn't stay mad at him when he smiled like that.  
"I'll wait for you then," she replied. He squeezed her hand gently, blushed a bit, then leaned over and kissed her.  
"I promise I'll make it up to you," he said quietly.  
She smiled and nodded.  
"Gohan!" Piccolo barked.  
"I'm coming!" he said as he ran over to the group. Everyone joined hands then Goku raised his index finger to his forehead and in a flash, they were gone.  
Videl looked over at Dende and Mr. Popo and saw their anxious looks. Dejected, she powered up and flew off towards home. Tears welled up in her eyes.  
  
"They're gone, my lord," a gruff voice reported.  
"Excellent. That was almost too easy. Earth stands defenseless before us now. Commence Operation: Overlord. The remaining defenders will be easy to subdue now that the real threat is taken care of. Even if they defeat our ally at New Namek, it will be too late for Earth. Go."  
"Yes, my lord."  
"Soon I will have the dragonballs and the populace in my grasp. No one can stop us now!"  
  
  
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	2. A Z Fighter falls

The Tournament came and went. Videl won easily and was presented the trophy by her father, Mr. Satan, the world's former champion. Master Roshi, Bulma, Chi-Chi, Yaumcha, Chaozu, 18 and Tien were all there to see her win and they cheered her on throughout the tournament. Her victory felt hollow though. Gohan and the others still hadn't returned, and Dende wasn't able to contact them. She was more than a little worried now as was Chi-Chi, Bulma and the others. Two weeks and not a word.   
Everyone got together to celebrate Videl's victory at Mr. Satan's mansion that night. Mr. Satan had become a gracious host, serving the finest food money could buy and the best entertainment available, but it didn't shake the mood of everyone.   
Chi-Chi had decided to stay at Capsule Corporation with Bulma to keep her company. Together they were their own support group unlike any other in the world. No one else could boast at being the wives of the two strongest fighters in the world, let alone the two strongest families anywhere! Videl had made the decision to stay with Bulma as well for the moral support and to keep the worried wives/mothers company. She was welcomed with open arms and she got to hear all the stories about their respective families. It was interesting, but the nights reminded them of the loneliness they each felt. Mr. Satan understood as well, he knew the capabilities of the Z Fighters and offered any luxury to Chi-Chi and Bulma to ease the agonizing wait.  
The day stretched on for Videl. School was now out and her and Gohan were supposed to go abroad now, but he wasn't here. She found herself getting angry all of a sudden. Damn him for leaving me here, she thought. Who does he think he is? How could he do this to me? That stupid saiyan! She fought back the tears and the bitterness, but it was a losing battle. I'm not going to go through this every time he has to go off and save the universe! Next time I'm going with him!   
Bulma and Chi-Chi knew well what Videl was going through and spent the rest of the day consoling her. Chi-Chi's suspicions were confirmed when Videl broke down and cried in her arms, telling her how stupid Gohan was. She called him an idiot, stupid goat, and other choice words that she cared not to dwell on. Hearing her cry made her smile a bit as she remembered doing and saying almost exactly the same things to her father, the Ox King, when Goku had to leave. She told this to Videl and it brightened her up a little, but the night brought the same pangs of loneliness and emptiness. Videl and the others slept fitfully that night.  
The sun slowly bathed its warm rays down in the morning but Videl woke up surly and depressed. She walked downstairs to the living room and heard the TV.  
"…And to recap: the rebuilt East City was destroyed this morning by what appears to be a large army of some sort. The national army has sent in four full divisions to deal with this threat and more information will be coming in once we reestablish communications. I repeat…"  
Bulma turned to Videl; "Did you hear that? Some unknown army wiped out East City!"  
"The whole city?" she asked, her eyes were wide in shock.  
"That's what it looks like, oh, Goku! Where are you?"  
"It doesn't sound good," Chi-Chi said. "Of all the times for an attack! Videl?"  
She was already running back up to her room to change into her clothes. She debated on weather to wear her saiyaman outfit but opted against it, besides Gohan wasn't here to help. She ran back downstairs and almost ran into Chi-Chi and Bulma.  
"Where are you going?" Bulma asked.  
"I'm going to check it out," she replied.  
"It's dangerous out there, be careful," Chi-Chi said.  
"I will." With that she ran outside, powered up and took flight.  
She sped through the air as fast as she could go, but East City was on the other side of the continent. She got there at about midday and her eyes went wide in shock to the sight that was before her. The national army had obviously engaged the enemy army in the ruins of East City and many tanks were torn in half and dead bodies littered the broken landscape. Four full divisions of troops were lost in a very one-sided battle. "All those people," she breathed as the full weight of the carnage hit her. The ambient ki in the area still pulsed with the violence and death that hit. It made it hard for her to concentrate, but she shook away her fear and stretched out her senses to find any survivors; sadly she found none.   
She turned around suddenly when she felt a sharp rise in the ki come from behind her. She barely got her arms up to deflect a powerful knee attack that would've caved in her chest. The force of the blow knocked her back a good twenty feet. She skidded but kept her footing and found herself on the defensive as she blocked blow after blow from her unseen attacker. She found an opening and sent a ki ball through it. The explosion sent small debris everywhere, but it gave her another precious second to attack. She screamed as she gathered more ki around her brought her hands together and released a more powerful ki blast at her attacker. Shards of metal struck her from all angles as she shielded herself from the explosion. The metal shards bit deeply into her skin but she shrugged off the pain and looked at the smoking crater to see what attacked her. The smoke eventually cleared revealing a large robot of some sort (think mini-gundam-M.) with most of its torso missing. It had an arm raised to attack, but it was dead. The grinding of metal could be heard as it slowly collapsed in on itself and fell into a heap on the ground.   
Videl panted heavily. That thing was strong! Her arms would bear the deep bruises just from defending its attacks. Her body was naturally tougher than a normal person's through her training, but nowhere near tough enough to fend off attacks of such strength. She didn't even notice the ki signature until it was almost on top of her. She felt the ambient ki rise and she powered up as high as she could go. The ground around her shook as it reacted to the amount of energy she gave off. She crouched into a defensive stance, ready for what came forth.  
She didn't have long to wait. Two more robots blurred into existence in front of her and they attacked simultaneously. She blocked their attacks, her white aura giving her more added protection from their strength and bulk. These robots attacked in unison, they were working together and made an effective team. Videl was hard pressed to block, parry, and dodge the flurry of attacks that came her way. They were fast too! She flipped over a low kick that sent her into the path of an on-coming punch from the other robot. She turned but it got a glancing blow on her shoulder that sent her sprawling to the ground. She was on her feet in a flash, just in time to catch a punch that was aimed at her face. She strained against the pure strength of the robot and kept it at bay, but the other robot came from her left side and kicked her hard, sending her flying. Her side exploded with pain from the impact, she felt a rib buckle and almost break from the strain, then her other side exploded in pain when she slammed into the remains of a building wall and sailed through it.  
Videl got up slowly, her body ached from the pain and her vision was blurry. She was still able to raise her hands in defense from the pressing attacks of the robots. The robots were too fast for her and one managed to get under her defenses and sent a powerful punch attack to her stomach. But, before it got there the robot exploded. Videl felt a powerful ki signature rise up in front of her, but the smoke prevented her from seeing who it was. "Need a hand?" asked a familiar voice.  
"Thanks Tien," she grunted.  
The smoke cleared, revealing his powerful frame. His grim expression told her the seriousness of the situation. The remaining robot noticed him too, it disengaged from Videl noting that Tien was the larger threat and attacked him with a flurry of punches and kicks. He dodged and blocked the attacks easily, and Videl stared in wonder and awe at his fighting stances. She shook her head, powered up and entered the fray with Tien. Together they were able to make short work of the remaining robot. After the smoke cleared, Tien threw a small brown pouch at her. She caught it and gratefully took out a senzu bean and ate it. Instantly she felt better.  
"Where did those things come from?"  
"I don't know," she answered as she tossed back the bag to him. "I heard about the attack from the news and I wanted to see what was going on for myself."  
"It's dangerous here, you know," it was more a statement than a question.  
She nodded, "Yes, but I can't just sit around and wait," she said angrily. "I can take care of myself."  
He grunted and tied the pouch to his belt. "Did you feel 'em coming?"  
"Not until they were almost on top of me," she replied. "I wonder where they came from. They're not like any kind of robot I've ever seen before."  
Tien powered up and slowly rose in the air. "Come with me to Kame's House. Yaumcha and Yajirobe are already there and we'll need to regroup if we're to find out anything else."  
"What about Chaozu?"  
"He's staying behind, he has a nation to look after. Let's go." He sped off, and she followed.  
  
"Report," said the caped figure.  
"100 percent casualties at the place called East City," the underling said. "The resistance force was destroyed as well."  
"Excellent," the figure replied. "Now, about the two interlopers."  
"Three strike robots were destroyed in confrontation with the warriors."  
"Not bad," the figure said as he rubbed his chin. "Still, it won't matter anyway. If those two are the strongest ones left, we have nothing to fear. What about the situation on New Namek?"  
"The Z Fighters are contained in battle my lord, with a few complications."  
"Complications?"  
"Apparently the two saiyans can fuse together into one being. It is giving our ally some sport, but he reports it's nothing he can't handle. Also the saiyan prince is able to assume a stronger form of super saiyan like the one they call Goku. That is complicating matters as well."  
"And the others?"  
"The young ones are able to fuse together as well, but aren't as strong as Goku or the prince. And the older son of Goku is able to hold is own as well, as is the Namek."  
"Send two Inquisitors. That should expedite matters."  
"Yes, my lord."  
"Soon my vengeance on the remaining saiyans will be complete. Their kind will soon be extinguished from the face of the universe!"  
The robed figure got up from his throne and exited the command center. You will pay Vegeta, he thought. You have the blood of untold billions on your hands, just like my planet. For that you will pay, as will your friends! The scales will be balanced again! This I swear!  
The figure walked down the corridor, paintings lined the walls, showing the beauty and color of his now long dead planet. Memories of another time and place filled his thoughts.  
The planet Nista was a perfect world by all accounts. War, famine, and disease were memories of a past so distant that their oldest records told of them as myth. The world was bright, vibrant, and teeming with life. The inhabitants, the Nistas were peaceful and lived in harmony with nature. They looked like the proverbial angels that were so prevalent in every culture this also included the wings. They used their technology to fuse the living and artificial in ways which were the envy of entire solar systems! Art and culture was a mainstay of the populace and their artists and craftsmen were the most respected in the universe. Their engineers were without peer and their spaceships were used to explore rather than to attack. For untold years the Nista helped their neighbors in the galactic quadrant achieve new heights of greatness and prosperity. That was, until the saiyans came. Being a friendly people, the Nistas welcomed the saiyans with open arms. Needless to say, they were quickly subjugated and their technology was retooled to create weapons of war and conquest. The people were ground under a tyrannical heel and several resisted, but they each met with gruesome fates. Then the Day of Darkness arrived and his life was changed forever…  
The figure entered the rest chamber and got into the regeneration tank. His vengeance would come; all he needed to do was wait and rest.  
  
18 and Yaumcha greeted Tien and Videl when they landed at Kame's House. "Whatever this army is," she said, "they've attacked again. This time they hit South City, and they hit it pretty good. The others are inside watching the news broadcast." She led them inside to where everyone was. Videl noticed everyone's grim faces at the horrific sights coming from the TV.   
Yaumcha turned off the TV when the broadcast ended. Yaumcha spoke up, "So what are we going to do?"  
Everyone turned to Master Roshi. The light from outside glistened on his ever-present sunglasses. Being the oldest of the group they deferred their judgment to him. "Hmm," he said thoughtfully as he stroked his beard. "It seems that our friends won't be able to return in time to help us. We're the only ones left to deal with this situation. First, we need to know what we're dealing with." He turned to Videl and Tien. "What are we up against?"  
Videl and Tien starting explaining.  
  
Krillin slammed into Piccolo causing them to sprawl to the ground. "This sucks," he grunted. "Get off me," Piccolo bellowed. The two got up and flew straight at their enemy.  
"HAAA!" Vegetto exclaimed, sending a powerful ki blast at the enemy. He backhanded it back, but Vegetto was able to dodge it.  
"You can't hope to defeat Leviathan!" it bellowed, flexing its massive muscles.  
"Shut up!" Gohan screamed as he came in punching. Using his mystic power, he was nearly the equal of Vegetto, which he used for the fullest effect.  
His punch connected, sending shockwaves of force out in all directions. Pressing the attack, He launched a barrage of ki blasts at point-blank range that Leviathan, or whatever he called himself, couldn't deflect. He bore the brunt of the explosions but didn't seem fazed. He quickly grasped Gohan's face with his powerful hands and began slowly squeezing the life out of the powerful warrior. Gotenks, Krillin, and Piccolo all attacked next as they combined their attack at once. Their punches hit their enemy on the right side, causing him to drop Gohan. Goku and Vegeta attacked next (their fusion time had expired), pressing the attack against their enemy who was unbelievably stronger than they were…  
  
By the time Videl and company got to South City there was nothing left. The whole city and the surrounding area was in ruins. "Stay on your guard," Tien reminded, "these robot conceal their signatures until it's almost too late!"  
Videl felt everyone's tension, raised her ki, and stretched out her senses to see if she found anyone alive. It was a futile attempt, judging by the effectiveness of the attack, but she still held out hope. Everyone tensed as they felt a sharp rise in the ki of the surrounding area. From the surrounding rubble teams of robots sprouted forth.  
"It's a trap!" yelled Yaumcha. He instantly powered-up and went on the attack.  
Videl powered-up to her fullest and joined the others against the robots. She blocked a vicious forearm; the shockwave from the force of the blow nearly knocked her off her feet! She rebounded with a kick that struck the robot's head, cleanly ripping it off its shoulders. Yajirobe had his sword out and was slashing for all it was worth, even Mr. Roshi powered-up to his full mass and was in the thick of things. Tien was easily holding his own, and 18 used her formidable strength and power to keep the other robots at bay. Videl would have been overwhelmed if it weren't for the others. Together they made short work of their attackers.   
"That wasn't so bad," Yajirobe said as he sheathed his sword. The others kept their defensive stances, ready for anything else that might attack.  
Tien felt it first, "Get down!" he yelled, as a huge blast of energy barely missed him as he dove to the ground. There was a loud explosion and the ground trembled under the impact…then there was silence.  
"Is everyone okay?" Videl asked as she got up.  
"Oh no," breathed Yaumcha as he stared in horror.  
"What is it?" she asked and as she turned she inhaled sharply at what she saw before her.  
Yajirobe stood there, his sword was out again, but most of it lay on the ground where it was cut. A large hole gaped where his chest had been. Weakly he fell to the ground. "Bean…Daddy!' he breathed, then he was no more.  
"Yajirobe! No!" Videl screamed as they all ran to their fallen comrade.  
"They killed him!" Yaumcha exclaimed in disbelief.   
The group stayed with their fallen friend until nightfall.  
  
With satisfaction, the being calling himself Leviathan kicked Gotenks clear across the ruined plain. He had to give these fighters credit, they didn't fall easily, and they always came back for more. He hadn't had this much fun in ages! Still, he knew why he was here and how long he was supposed to keep these fighters occupied. Soon he'd be able to dispatch them at his leisure. That is, if his master didn't go to Plan B. His musings were interrupted by a crushing punch to the face by the one they called Goku. He was in his most interesting form, with all that long hair and power. The force of Goku's punch sent the creature careening across the plain. Vegeta was there to meet him, also in 3rd level form. Leviathan skidded to him where Vegeta punted him high up in the air. Gohan was there to meet him and backhanded him back down to the ground. Piccolo and Krillin were already in place and sent their most powerful energy attacks at him. The blasts hit, along with Kamehameha waves and Final Flash attacks. The explosion nearly tore the continent apart!  
Leviathan hurt, if he didn't pay closer attention to the fight he could get seriously injured, maybe even killed. These fighters weren't to be underestimated. He didn't have time to react as Gotenks blurred in front of him and sent a flurry of ki blasts point-blank into his face. The others were on top of him as well. It seemed that these fighters got stronger the longer they fought, Leviathan thought. He felt the rush of adrenaline as he got caught up in the excitement of battle. He blocked Gohan's punch and kicked Krillin at the same time. He pivoted in mid-air, dodging Piccolo's slashing attack and head butting Vegeta. Goku hammered down with both fists on Leviathan, which sent him deep into the planet's crust.  
The Z Fighters regrouped, waiting for their enemy to appear. "How much longer is this going to go on?" an exhausted Vegeta asked.  
"As long as it takes," Goku replied his voice grim and determined.  
The warriors leapt into the air right before Leviathan exploded from down below them, sending debris everywhere. Goten and Trunks defused, but refused to pass out. Leviathan sent an energy wave from his mouth that encompassed the Z Fighters. They were able to deflect the blast, but the precious seconds of offense was lost as Leviathan blurred and struck with renewed fury…  
  
"We've got to find the dragonballs," Videl exclaimed. "It's the only way to get Yajirobe and the others back!"  
"We know," Tien said harshly. "But we still need to find out who's behind these attacks and deal with 'em!"  
"We could split up," 18 said diplomatically.   
"Hmm," grumbled Master Roshi as he stroked his beard. "I don't like the idea but I guess it's the only one we got. Everyone line up."  
They did what he said. "Now, Tien, 18 and Videl, step forward." They did. "You three will find out who's behind these attacks. The rest of us will go to Bulma's and get the dragon radar and search for the dragonballs. We'll keep a low profile and should remain undetected while you duke it out. Good luck."  
The trio nodded solemnly and took to the air. "Now," Master Roshi said, "lets find those dragonballs."  
  
  
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	3. An Insidious Plan

The trio sped through the night air, flying as fast as they could. Tien, 18, and Videl were on a desperate mission to find who was behind the attacks that destroyed both South City and East City.  
"So where do you think they'll attack next?" Videl asked.  
"They've hit two major populated areas and took out a huge chunk of the military. I'll bet they'll target the Central Capitol next, if they hadn't already."  
"Those robots weren't that tough," commented 18. "Their ability to mask their signatures works in their favor though."  
Videl felt more like a hindrance to these two powerful warriors. They were both so much stronger and faster than she was. It was all she could do to try and keep up with them in the air. To her, those robots were the strongest things she'd ever faced and the others were able to destroy them without really trying. "I don't know if I should be going with you guys," she said.  
"What?" Tien asked incredulously, "Don't talk like that! Of course you should be with us! You're needed now!"  
"I don't know," she replied, "I'm nowhere near as powerful as you two are. I'm just slowing you guys down."  
"Videl," 18 said seriously, "it doesn't matter how powerful you are, it's what you do when you have the chance to do something when you need to. Krillin told me that…" her eyes became downcast as memories of her husband flooded her mind.  
The trio was silent for a moment before Videl spoke up. "I'm sorry, I just wish the others were here that's all."  
"I know how you feel, "18 said, "I miss Krillin very much."  
"Hey," Tien barked, "We don't have time to think about that right now! We got more pressing business to take care of!"  
The rest of the trip to Central Capitol was done in silence save for their own thoughts.  
  
Gohan was sore. His right arm hung limply at his side, and his legs responded only because he willed them to. Leviathan left their battered and bruised bodies again, but he'd be back again tomorrow. They were so close to defeating him today! But everyone had given too much of themselves. No one was able to deliver the final blow. He was toying with them! He could've destroyed us a hundred times over, Gohan thought. Why didn't he? He knew the others shared his same thoughts, but Goku was passed out, as were Goten and Trunks. Vegeta was down to one knee and Piccolo had to fly off in search of Krillin who took a nasty blow a few minutes ago and could've possibly gone straight into orbit. Things didn't look good.  
"Here's some food," a voice said from the darkness. Gohan looked through his blurred vision and saw two Namekian children with plates of food. "Our village is still intact and we knew you guys would need food and water."  
Gohan was too tired to argue and he accepted it gratefully. The food wasn't the best he'd ever had, but it was filling. Finally over-exhaustion took hold of him and he passed out.  
Vegeta grunted as he took the food. "Blast him!' he cursed. "If I was only a bit stronger I would've killed him! Damn me for being weak!"  
  
"Don't think like that Vegeta," Piccolo said from the darkness. He carried an unconscious Krillin under one arm. "He could've killed us many times if he wanted, but I don't think that's why he's here."  
"Then why is he toying with us?" Vegeta strained in anger and pain. "What perverse pleasure does he gain by beating us senseless every day?'  
Piccolo gave Vegeta a look and raised an eyebrow.  
"Don't answer that," Vegeta said darkly.  
  
"Report," the caped figure said to the viewscreen.  
"They're tough," Leviathan replied. "They almost got me today."  
The figure smiled, "So I take it you are experiencing…difficulties?"  
"It's nothing I can't handle," he shot back. "YOU try deflecting Goku's 'spirit bomb' or whatever the hell he calls it! I tell ya, it sucks!"  
"Rest easy, Leviathan. They have passed the first test. The Inquisitors should arrive shortly."  
"So you're going to Plan B then?" he asked, sounding disappointed.  
"Yes, they could prove useful to my plans once we have them fully under our control."  
"Good luck to ya there boss," Leviathan snorted. "I've never fought a stronger group ever in the four galaxies and beyond! Personally I think you should let me deal with them…permanently."  
"Your request is duly noted. Worry not my friend, those who do not pass the second test you may dispatch at your leisure. The others will be dealt with in a similar fashion after their usefulness has ended. You will still have the honor of carrying out that duty when the time comes."  
Leviathan smiled at that. "All right boss, "he said shrugging, "whatever you say."  
"Patience, my energetic friend. You'll get your chance."  
"I hate waiting," he grumbled and broke the video link.  
The figure couldn't help but smile. Leviathan could be so amusing at times. It's why he kept him around for so long. Plus he so loved the work!  
  
18, Tien and Videl entered Central Capitol still under the cover of nightfall. Videl already contacted her father and told him of the events that transpired that day. He was very distraught at the news but he would do his best to warn the others and help the police in any way he could. Master Roshi called and told her that he and Yaumcha contacted Bulma and Chi-Chi and that they were heading out to find the dragonballs. Tien told Roshi his idea of Central Capitol being attacked and he agreed. They all wished each other luck and she broke the link on her wristwatch. Central Capitol loomed before them, the largest and most populated city in the world. The city was also the seat of the national government (well, what passed for it anyway) and had the largest concentration of the national defense forces. Apparently they weren't alone in thinking that this city would be next on the list.  
Videl was able to contact the local defense forces and told them of the robots and their destructive power. Evacuation plans were put into effect and the chaotic mess of getting the populace out was implemented. The defense forces concentrated around the city displaying a rather impressive array of firepower. By daylight half the populace was evacuated, and most of the defense forces were in place. 18, Tien, and Videl helped to evacuate the people and anything else they could do. By midday they were tired and hungry. The mayor (I don't really know if that's the case in this city, but that's the norm in the cities of DBZ-M.) asked if they were going to stay behind to help defend the city, which the trio readily agreed to, and he gave them the keys to his mansion. Then he grabbed the hat on his head and ran as fast his legs could take him away from the city!  
"I told you you'd be needed, Videl," Tien said tiredly. "We couldn't get a quarter as much done if it wasn't for you."  
"Thanks," she said yawning. "It's the least I could do."  
"We'd better set up a watch in case they attack today," 18 commented.  
"I'll take first watch," Tien said as he stretched. "I'll wake you up next 18, then you wake up Videl for her watch." The others nodded and they used the key to get into the mansion.   
The mansion was huge, although it wasn't as large as Videl's home. It had plenty of room for the trio and the fridge was stocked with food. They ate and then the women took showers and passed out in the bedroom. Tien stood out on the large balcony and stretched out his senses, trying to pick up any abnormal activity in the area.   
  
"So you think he's keeping us here on purpose?" Goku asked.  
"Yes," Piccolo nodded, "It's the only reason I could think of why he hasn't killed us yet. He's made it painfully obvious that he could easily do it any time he wished."  
"Man, I can't take much more of this," Krillin remarked. "Another hit like that one and I'm a goner!" he rubbed his bandaged head to drive home the point.  
"When can we go home?" Goten asked. "I miss mommy!"  
"We'll go home as soon as we finish what we're doing here," Goku replied in an unusually harsh tone, "and not a moment sooner."  
Gohan looked at his battered father. "Dad? Is something bothering you?"  
Goku didn't reply, he clenched his fists in frustration.  
"Why don't we go looking for him? We almost got him this time! I'll bet he needs to heal like the rest of us after the beating he got!"  
"Trunks," Goku said quietly, "do you think in the state we were in we could've taken him? How about right now?" Trunks shook his head no. "Then there's your answer!"  
Trunks backed away a step shocked at Goku's outburst. Everyone but Vegeta leaped back as Goku suddenly screamed and slammed his fists into the ground, creating a medium sized earthquake throughout the surrounding area. Involuntarily, he went super saiyan.  
"Dad!" Gohan yelled, "Calm down!"  
Goku turned and faced his son. For a brief second, Gohan didn't recognize his father, and he was afraid! The only other time this happened was when his father first went super saiyan. Goku quickly recovered and de-powered. "Sorry son," he sighed. "I don't know what came over me! That never happened before! I'm sorry for snapping at you to Trunks, I didn't mean to scare you."  
"It's okay dad, we've never fought anyone this powerful before. The stress must be getting to you, that's all," Gohan said diplomatically. Trunks managed to smile at Goku and gave him a thumbs up.  
The others were silent during the brief outburst, but Vegeta and Piccolo exchanged worried looks. "You all should get some rest," Piccolo said. "We'll need it for tomorrow."  
Everyone went to sleep in the desolate plain that was the battleground. Gohan couldn't get the picture of his father out of his mind, which kept him up until exhaustion finally overcame him. His dreams were filled with the same picture, and of Videl…  
  
Videl was awakened for her watch, which she dutifully went to. She stretched out her senses like Gohan taught her, but didn't detect anything unusual. The hours passed and she found her mind drifting to thoughts of Gohan. All the time they spent together training and after. She missed his warm body next to hers, and his strong, but gentle touch. She'd tried to entice him on more than one occasion to take the relationship further, but to her frustration, he always said no. He wanted to wait. She always tried to keep a check on her desires, but it got harder and harder around him. Still, he was like a rock; he wouldn't bend. She knew that he desired her just as much as she did him, but he always had better control than she did. Then he did that thing with his ki at their little training island! Still thinking about it made her shiver with longing! She sighed, depressed. She was never away from him this long before, and she realized how hard it must be for 18, Bulma and Chi-Chi. She didn't know how they could endure it, she didn't know if she could anymore.   
She tried to push those thoughts out of her mind and concentrate on her task at hand. It didn't help. The more she tried to push Gohan out of her mind the stronger he came back. The hours passed agonizingly slow. She almost wished that the robots attacked so she could get her mind off of him, but they were nowhere in sight. The location of Central Capitol was strategically placed, and any attacker would be seen long before they breached the outskirts of the city. By now, everyone who wasn't absolutely needed in the city would be gone, evacuated to a safe haven, or so she hoped. The sun shone brightly in the sky, and there was no wind to speak of, which made it very hot. It did nothing to lighten her mood. Aside from the occasion helicopter that would fly by or the occasional tank that would rumble on, the city was eerily silent. Even the birds and other animals seemed to have left the city. It creeped her out, but all it accomplished was to darken her already sour mood.   
Eventually Tien joined her at the balcony. He brought her a sandwich and a tall glass of ice water. She thanked him and began to eat.  
"So, "he said, "you really miss him don't you?"  
Videl became very aware of his eyes boring into her. She felt herself blush a little, but she nodded her head. "Gohan's a really great guy. You can't find a more deserving man out there in the world."  
"Thank you," she said blushing harder. "I really do miss him." She looked at him quizzically for a moment before she continued. "How about you? Don't you have anyone special in your life?"  
"Well," he started then took a deep breath, "I really haven't had time to look for anyone. I've been helping Chaozu govern his kingdom in the mountains, but there was someone a long time ago, her name was Launch." He smiled as the memories came back to him. "Man, she was a wild one!" He started to laugh, which felt good despite the impending danger.  
"So what happened?"  
"Let's just say that when she had an allergic reaction to something, which was almost anything and everything, she got a little crazy!" he laughed. "It didn't work out too well between us, especially when she took out her guns!" He started laughing harder.  
Videl's eyes went wide in astonishment, but his laughter was infectious. Soon she was laughing as well. It was a welcome break from the mood she was in earlier.  
Eventually 18 joined them and they patrolled around the outskirts of the city, but no attack seemed forthcoming. Everyone was still tense and alert, snapping at the barest hint of something unusual. The attack didn't come that day however, and the trio returned to the mansion and went back to their vigil.  
  
"Damnit, Oolong!" screamed Master Roshi, "I can't fly this thing with you in my face!"  
"Shut up and fly, old man!" he screamed back. Oolong clutched tightly at the old man's head, holding on for dear life! The little airship bobbed and weaved in a chaotic pattern, zigzagging here and there.  
"Can't this bucket of bolts go any faster?" complained Yaumcha as he was tossed around in the back.  
"You shut up!" Bulma shot back. "This bucket of bolts will lead us to the dragonballs, stupid!"  
"If it doesn't get us killed first," he retorted. He tumbled again, as did Chi-chi who fell on him in a heap.  
The loud screeching noises coming from outside the ship told those inside the proximity of their attackers. Four large Pterodactyls swooped around the ship, intent on making the occupants their next meal!  
"Faster! Faster!" Oolong screamed.  
"Shut up!"  
"What a way to go," whined Chi-Chi as the ship continued its chaotic course followed by the Pterodactyls.  
  
"'Bout time you got here," Leviathan said.  
Two tall, but impossibly thin creatures entered his buried spaceship. "We are here on the orders of our lord to proceed with the test," they said in unison. "Are the subjects ready?"  
"Almost. The Namek and the prince are responding nicely to my aggression pheromones. The warrior Goku is responding to them as well. Soon they'll be ready for the test."  
"Very well, when the time is right we shall appear before them under the guise of Nameks and administer the test. You know what to do with those who fail?"  
Leviathan grinned and nodded, "Of course."  
  
The caped figure rested in his regeneration chamber, surrounded by the remaining artwork of his people. His people's lost music filled his ears, calming the murderous, righteous rage that burned deep within his heart. His scouter robots reported that the remaining resistance had dug in at the Capitol, waiting for the inevitable attack. That's fine, he thought, let them sweat it out. The attack will be coming soon enough. The tech level on this planet was so primitive, yet they still fought on despite the odds. It was an admirable trait these humans possessed, foolish, but admirable. It almost pained him to do what he had to do, considering the similarities between these humans and his own people. But there were many other races across the galaxies that also possessed the hardiness and resolve to fight for what they believe in. Wasn't he doing the same? Didn't the blood of his fallen race cry out at the injustices that were done to them at the hands of the saiyans? His race was but one of countless races that met their ends under the heels of those despicable beings. He survived, and vowed that his people would not have died in vain. No, the cries would become silent on the death cries of the last saiyan. Only then would he, and the remainders left behind along with all the others that were destroyed by the saiyans know peace.   
His semi-meditations were interrupted by an underling who saluted, handed him a report, and left. He looked it over and smiled to himself. This was perfect! Some of the remaining warriors split off from the main group and were searching for the dragonballs. Intercepting this world's primitive communications had been a snap for his crack communication specialists, and now these weaklings would lead him directly to the dragonballs. All he had to do was dispatch a few scouters to keep track of their movements and pick them up when they had gathered all the dragonballs. It was simplicity in itself!   
He got out of his chair and headed to the command room. The doors slid open and he entered. "Show me the picture of these coordinates," he commanded. His underlings complied and Bulma's ship appeared on the viewscreen.  
"What should we do about them, my lord? Should we move to intercept?"  
"No, send out a few scouters. Tell them observation only! They are searching for the dragonballs. Let's let them acquire them, then we'll take them at our leisure."  
"Yes my lord," the underling said as he saluted.  
"Now all we have to do is wait and the dragonballs will be ours!"   
  
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	4. Things that Once Were are No More!

"I've got it!" Chi-Chi yelled from the mountain top, holding up the fourth dragonball.  
"Great!" Bulma called back. "Only three more to go! Bring 'er around, old man, so we can pick her up."  
"Aye aye," Master Roshi exclaimed as he swung the ship around.  
"Master Roshi," Puar said, "I didn't know you knew how to fly this thing."  
"I don't!" he replied smiling.  
  
The planet of Nista floated in the celestial winds, a flawless gem among rough stones in the cosmos. Nista was well known in that quadrant of space as being as close to paradise as one could get. The cultural and technological achievements of the Nistas were the envy of many worlds. Because of that, he guessed it was only a matter of time before the saiyans came. It seemed so long ago, he thought. Kaltara, he whispered, her figure swirled and came into being in the mists of his memories. Her hair was long and blond, her eyes as blue as the finest crystal, and her voice like that of music! After the saiyans came she got involved with the resistance movement. Then came that day...  
"...ip's almost ready for launch, we need a few more minutes!," Kaltara said over the comm.  
"We don't have time! Freeza and his minions are poised above the planet as we speak, it's hopeless," came the desperate reply. There was a lond sound of an explosion, then static was the only thing Kaltara heard coming from the other end.  
"They got the hangar," she muttered breatlessly. "All those people..."  
The building she manned shuddered violently it was assaulted by energy blasts from the saiyan warriors. The ceiling caved in and she used her wings to cover herself from the falling debris.  
"Kaltara," yelled a voice from the crumbling hall.  
"Dalron," she cried. "What are you still doing here?"  
"I couldn't leave you," he said as he burst through the doorway. The archaic thing in his hand (a sword, the saiyans called it) was dripping with the blood of fallen saiyans. His wings were torn and bleeding as was the rest of his body, but he still stood resolute against the tyranny. He grabbed her hand and lifted her up. "We'll leave together or not at all."  
She stole a kiss from him before they left. The building exploded from all sides, sending shards of debris everywhere. Dalron and Kaltara shielded their eyes as the dust and rubble flew at them. Then nothing. Kaltara coughed from the large concentration of dust, Dalron slowly lowered his arm from his face. It was too dusty to make out anything, but he knew that they got of the building just in the nick of time. The remains of the labratory behind them was a testament to the personal might of these accursed saiyan warriors. Seconds passed, still silence. Then he heard laughing...mocking...evil...and the lone voice was joined by others in macabre celebration.  
"Look what I found," a gruff and arrogant saiyan voice said. The dust began to settle. Slowly, Dalron could make out the telltale figures of saiyan warriors, ten of them! They were surrounded.  
"What should we do with them, Prince Vegeta?" a long haired saiyan asked.   
"We've done noting to you!" Kaltara cried, her fists clenched in frustration and rage. "Why do you do this?"  
The spiky haired saiyan, the leader, folded his arms across his chest and laughed. "You've displeased Lord Freeza. For that..." he dropped his left arm and pointed at Dalron. A yellow ball of energy formed at his fingertip. "...you die." The destructive beam shot forth, aimed directly at Dalron's chest.  
Dalron brought his sword up in defense, but Kaltara shoved him aside bearing the full brunt of the attack. Dalron was thrown off balance but her unexpected action and screamed. "Nooo!"  
He quickly got his balance and tried to reach for her, but she was too far away. He watched as the beam hit her chest and contined through her. Her eyes widened for a brief second then glazed over even before she hit the ground. "Kaltara," he screamed. He wrapped her dead body in his arms, tears of rage fell from his face. "You...you...murderers!"  
"My, my," the leader said. "Fear not, warrior, you'll join her now!" He pointed his finger at Dalron like before.  
Without thinking, Dalron dropped the body of his love and leapt at the saiyan the others called Prince Vegeta. Vegeta was caught off guard by the speed of his assailant's attack, and his beam went wide. Dalron slashed outward with the sword, cutting deep into his enemy's side. Dalron's eyes glowed white hot with the fury that was buring within him. His inner power was screaming for release, and he let it. Vegeta skidded across the ground from the force of the blow. The other saiyans where on Dalron in a flash. Consummed with rage and hate, he used the sword in his hands to deadly effect, cutting three warriors down before they could attack. Unfortunately there were still to many for him to overcome by himself. Soon the saiyans hand him on the ground, broken, battered, and near dead.  
The large saiyan called Nappa wandered to where Prince Vegeta was and helped him up. "Are you okay, boss?"  
"I'm fine you idiot!" he spat, clutching his side. He slapped Nappa away and looked at the fallen Dalron with malice and hatred. "I'm going to enjoy this!" He began walking over to his hapless foe.  
Suddenly, all the scouters the saiyans wore beeped. After a second, "Damn!" Vegeta cursed, then he smiled. "It looks like you'll live a few moments longer," he said to Dalron. "Lord Freeza wants the pleasure of destroying your planet personally, consider it a great honor. So long." The saiyans left him there to die.  
For long moments Dalron laid there, floating in and out of consciousness. His mind kept repeating his beloved Kaltara's demise over and over in his head. His body hurt all over. Both legs were broken, as were his arms and wings. Several ribs were punctured and judging by his breathing, he thought that his lungs were punctured as well. In his dim vision, he barely made out the form Kaltara laying on the ground. Slowly, agonizingly he forced his bones and muscles to work and he crawled over to her. He felt the jolts of pain and his fingers and arms breaking in new places as he forced them to do his bidding and he awkwardly scouped her into his arms. Fighting back the pain and the feeling of unconsciousness, he held her. He felt heat coming from the surrounding area and a bright light coming from above was casting strange shadows on the ruins that was the ground. Against the pain, he lifted his head to the sky and his eyes opened wide in horror. Miles above, a large ball of energy was slowly making its way to the surface of the planet.  
"No...it...it can't...can't end like this," he breathed in disbelief. Time seemed to slow, as if the planet, knowing it was doomed, tried to extend its life for a few brief moments more. Then, the ball hit the surface and continued on its inexorable journey to the planets core and total destruction. "No," Dalron breathed. "No...no..." The ground shuddered and split. Rock the size of mountains rose in the air as the gravity of the planet began shifting.   
"No! NOOOO!" Then...darkness.  
The robed figure awoke in a sweat. It was the dream again, the same dream he's had for years now. The ending was always the same, the destruction of his planet and his people. His fist came crashing down on the desk next to his sleeping capsule. The force of the strike splintered it in thousands of tiny splinters. Never again, he thought. Never again!  
He got up from his sleep capsule and headed to the command room. "Prepare the robots and get ready to launch the attack on Capitol City," he barked.  
"My Lord," the underling said, confused. "This soon?"  
"Did you not hear my orders," he snapped. In response the underling snapped a salute and got on the comm to direct the robots.  
Soon, he thought. The dreams will end.   
  
The day was hot and Videl wiped the sweat from her brow. Her patrol went as usual, and nothing appeared out of the ordinary. 18 had just finished her patrol and had gone to sleep. Tien stayed up meditating and even spent some time training. When night fell Tien was ready to assume his duties. He quietly nodded at Videl as she flew onto the balcony and he took off. Videl mechanically walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge and got some dinner. 18 was awake and stretching in the next room. Videl walked over with a plate of food in her hands.  
"How'd the patrol go?"  
"..."  
"Videl?"  
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I must've spaced out for a second. Nothing new to report, boring as usual."  
"Don't drop your guard," 18 warned. "We have to be ready at any moment."  
Videl heard her speak, but she wasn't really listening. She was wondering if she'd ever see Gohan again. A nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her things she didn't want to think about.  
  
Leviathan reeled from the force of Piccolo's sucker punch. The other warriors were temporarily down from the fight. I guess I'm goin' a bit too hard on 'em, he thought. His other thoughts became a mishmash of chaos as Piccolo brought his clenched fists down on his head, sending him screaming to the ground and landing hard. Piccolo's regeneration factor was kicked into high gear, enabling him to go toe to toe with his powerful foe. He wasted precious seconds on breathing, then blurred to where Leviathan landed.  
Leviathan rubbed some blood from his lip and his head pounded from the hit. He was caught unaware as Piccolo appeared above him and extended his arms, grabbed him and pulled him toward himself. The sound of Piccolo's fierce headbut sounded like an explosion that echoed throughout the ruined plain. He let go of his enemy and kneed him in the stomach. Leviathan coughed up blood this time, but wasn't given time to react as the Super Namek furiously sent a flurry of punches into his face. With blinding speed, Leviathan struck out with his fist and connected to Piccolo's chest, almost punching through him.  
"One side," Vegeta growled, as he ki blasted Leviathan from the side.  
Piccolo fell to the ground, but was caught by Gohan before anymore damage could be dealt. "This is insane," he muttered. "We can't keep up with it!"  
Vegeta screamed with rage and the black choked sky lit up, the explosion nearly rending the atmosphere apart. Leviathan sailed to the ground, but was intercepted by Goten. However, Trunks shoved him aside and sent a ki blast of his own at Leviathan.  
"Watch it," yelled an angry Goten.  
"You're in my way," Trunks spat back. "Why don't you back off and let a REAL fighter do the job!"  
"Oh yeah?" Goten blurred next to Trunks and punched his face, sending the kid saiyan reeling. "I'll show you real fighter!" He flew toward Trunks full of rage and hate.  
Gohan was angry and he didn't know why. He saw the battle brewing between the kids and they missed their opportunity to get Leviathan. Goku and Krillin were engaged with him now, Vegeta laid some several hundred yards away passed out from exhaustion. Piccolo wasn't faring much better. Gently Gohan lowered him to the ground so he could rest. Trunks and Goten looked like they forgot about Leviathan, too wound up in their own little struggle. He powered up and flew at the boys getting between them.  
"Stop this! What do you think you're doing?"  
"He started it! He pushed me!"  
"YOU shouldn't have been in my way!"  
"I wasn't in your way," Goten said through clenched teeth.  
"Yes you were," Trunks retorted with clenched fists.  
"SHUT UP!"  
The two boys cringed as Gohan screamed. The look of pure rage he gave them brought them out of their haze. The two kids actually looked scared as they looked at him. It looked like Gohan was about to attack them!  
"Havin' fun?" Leviathan said as he blurred next to Gohan and blasted him across the plain. Without missing a beat, he kicked the two kids away as well. Satisfied, he surveyed the damage. All of the warriors were beaten...again. Their ki levels were low enough that he knew that they couldn't follow him back to his hiding place. He was pleased by the progress that his phermones were doing to the warriors. They were all ready for the next phase, which was fine with him. Tomorrow they all will be loyal servants of his master and those who resisted would be dead.  
  
"We are ready, my Lord," the underling reported with a salute.  
"Excellent. Maintain battle ready status. We attack tomorrow."  
  
Night brought back the usual demons to Videl. The bed was spacious but cold. She tossed and turned, anger welled up within her. You're stronger than this! You were as strong as your father. You never let anything get to you and when it did you mande sure those responsible were punished. Now look at you! You've become weak! You're not worthy to be with Gohan, that's if he's even coming back. Get stronger or become weak, it's your choice. Needless to say, her mind made sure she didn't sleep well.  
  
Goku paced back and forth, fuming with rage. His side still hurt where Leviathan kicked him and with the bruises and such across his face he wondered if Chi-Chi would even recognize him! The others were feeling pretty much the same. Getting so close to defeating their enemy then having victory slip from their grasp was taking a toll on them, mentally as well as physically. Goten and Trunks broke out into a fight again but they were so exhausted that their battle was done with foul language. Krillin's leg was twisted at an awkward angle which put him out of the fight permanently. The others were faring little better. Everyone was exhausted, with the energy that they expended over the last few weeks, he thought that it was a miracle that New Namek wasn't obliterated yet. He heard a noise and immediately assumed a defensive position. "Who's there?"  
"We bring food and water," a voice said in the darkness. Two Nameks stepped out from the shadows, bearing plates of food for the warriors.  
"It's about time," Vegeta growled, "I'm starving!"  
"Me too," Trunks replied, his voice hoarse from the verbal fight with Goten.  
The warriors gathered in a circle and the Nameks wordlessly placed the food before the heroes. They attacked the food, except for Piccolo who took a jug of water instead. The Nameks watched as the warriors ate and drank. When they finished the Nameks picked up the plates and walked back into the darkness.  
"I don't...feel so good," Goten complained rubbing his stomach.  
"Me neither," Trunks said.  
The others felt it too. "P...Poison!" Piccolo stammered before he fell. The others followed him into the darkness shortly after.  
  
Leviathan rested in the regeneration tank, with a huge smile on his face. At least he'd be off this miserable planet tomorrow. Secretly he was hoping that one or two of the warriors would be strong enough to resist the poison that the Inquisitors gave them. Toying with them was fun for a while but there were times when he didn't think he'd make it through. The battles he's had with them were the closest he's got to defeat in ages and he mission was only to retain them here and to let his pheremones do the work. Perhaps his master would be kind and let him kill off one for a job well done. There was always that hope. His further musings were interrupted by the Inquisitors. "It is done," they said in unison. By morning we will administer the test."  
"Fine, fine," he said waving a clawed hand dismissively. "At least I finally be able to get off this rock!"  
"Are you prepared to extract those who fail the test?"  
His smile broadened, "Of course, I can't wait."  
"Very well," they replied and left the ship.  
He rubbed his (now healed) hands in anticipation. This was one test he really wished they'd fail.  
  
"Videl, wake up," Tien said softly.  
She awoke with a start, half-remembered nightmares and flashes ran through her mind for a second before she realized where she was.  
"You okay?" he asked, concerned.  
"I'll be okay," she yawned and stretched.  
"Didn't sleep too well, huh?"  
She shook her head, trying not to let the depression she was feeling show. He left her so she could shower and change. She got herself ready and went to the kitchen to get breakfast. 18 arrived then, finished with her patrol. "Anything new?" Videl asked.  
18 shok her head and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "It'll be another hot one today," she said.  
"Wonderful," Videl remarked dryly.  
"You better get going soon, make sure you go over by the barrens. I found some stragglers there, hopefully there won't be anymore."  
Videl nodded and finished her breakfast. Then she went out to the balcony and started her patrols.  
  
The robed figure stood in the command center, readouts from the computers fed him last minute information from New Namek. He smiled at the report. "Excellent, we have them all! I'll bet Leviathan isn't too happy with the results but he'll make do. Bring them here immediately, I want them to take part in the attack on the city. That way we'll wipe out the rest of the resistance in one mighty attack."  
"Yes sir," an underling said as he saluted and went about his duties.  
"The moment they arrive we attack," he commanded, "not a moment sooner!"  
The irony wasn't lost to him, using one of the saiyans that was used in the destruction of his planet, but that was part of the fun. The Inquisitors did their job well, there was no known way to free them from his will and even if there was a way Leviathan would be there ready to take care of the problem. It always helped to have...precautions.  
"Sir," an underling reported.  
"Yes?"  
"They are on their way and will be here shortly. They will arrive outside Capitol City within the hour."  
Slowly the robed figure seated himself down at his throne. "Great. Have our robots there to meet them and then lay the city to waste."  
"As you wish, my Lord."  
He turned to a comm officer. "What is the status of the other group? Have they found the dragonballs yet?"  
"Our spy robots confirm that they have five dragonballs in their possession."  
"Keep me informed," he said passively. Things couldn't be going any better than they were now.  
  
This day couldn't get any worse, Videl thought as she flew around the city. There were indeed several other vagrants and stragglers hiding away in the barrens. She had to contact the armed forces to remove them from the city. It was a time consuming process that only made her mood worse. She got a report from Chi-Chi though that said they found another dragonball. That meant that there were only two more to go, and this whole mess could be straightened out as well as bringing back poor Yajirobe. She relayed the message back to Tien and resumed her patrols. A while later she felt a familiar ki signature coming from beyond the city. She nearly lost her concentration and fell from the sky she was so startled! It's...It's Gohan!  
Her heart skipped a few beats as she felt the other ki signatures of the other Z warriors. Without thinking she powered up and flew toward their location as fast as she could go. Tien and 18 joined her, they felt the same signatures. "It's them," Videl cried, "they're back!"  
"It's about time," Tien said smiling. "I wonder what took them so long?"  
"I'd like to find out too," 18 said. "If Krillin comes back with so much as a bump, I'll..."  
Videl felt the same way toward Gohan, but she was relieved and elated as well. He was alive! He was home! She could feel his signature get stronger the closer she got to his location. The three sped closer until they could barely make out their outline in the desert. The trio finally made it to their location and landed.  
"Gohan!" Videl screamed happily as she threw her arms wide and ran toward him. She stopped suddenly when she saw the look on his face.   
Gohan stood there his arms across his chest (in a perfect Vegeta impression!-M) as were the others, even Goku. The thing that made her stop dead in her tracks were their eyes. The lower corners of their eyes were all bloodshot and dull, however their expression were anything but, as the returned warriors regarded the trio with hatred and malice. "What's....what's going on you guys?" asked Tien.  
"Krillin?" 18 asked somewhat sheepishly.  
Suddenly in an explosion of darkness, a great and powerful form appeared behind the Z warriors. Videl, Tien and 18 took an involuntary step back as they took in the powerful ki signature of this being. "What the hell is that?" Tien breathed.  
"I bring you bad news folks," Leviathan said in a conversational tone. He spread his powerful arms wide, "and here they are!"  
"What?" The trio said in unison. The could feel the power levels rising in their friends and took another step back. Then Gohan, Goku, Vegeta, Trunks and Goten screamed and went super saiyan. The ground shook with their power!  
"What the...?" Tien exclaimed as he assumed a defensive stance. 18 did the same, but Videl was too shocked to raise her hands in defense. Her eyes were locked on Gohan's and she was afraid. He had the appearance of her gohan, but this wasn't, no, couldn't be her Gohan! His eyes were filled with such rage and hate, she never thought he could look so...evil!  
"Looks like they want a fight," Leviathan laughed. "I wonder how long the three of you will last."  
"What have you done to them?" Tien yelled angrilly through clenched fists. Leviathan just laughed.  
"G...Gohan," Videl said but it was barely a whisper. She still couldn't accept what he was. "Gohan, it's me, Videl. D...Don't you remember me?"  
His demeanor didn't change, he just stood there poised to attack, as were the rest. Agonizing seconds went by, then the Z Warriors attacked. Gohan was flying straight at Videl, a look of murderous rage permanently etched in his face. Videl couldn't move, she was still in shock. She was able to barely make a sound in protest to the horror that was blurring toward her. Perhaps her final word in life:  
"...Gohan..."  
  
  
  
Well? What do you think so far? Drop me a review and tell me. The next chapter should be up in a week or so. This thing is by no means over yet and I'd like to hear your thoughts on it. What ya liked and what ya didn't. Give me your thoughts because reviews are our bread and butter here and the more reviews we get the more we as writers get into our stories and put out more on a quicker basis. Even if you didn't like the story tell me why. I'm always willing to bounce ideas and stuff from anyone and you can reach me at mezzicstorm2131@yahoo.com. Anyway, tune in next chapter when the proverbial stuff hits the fan and see if I can find a way out of this mess so everyone will be happy. See ya next time! Keep writing and keep reading!-M.  
  
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	5. Interlude Sending Help from Beyond the ...

A/N: In an "opps I screwed up at the end of the last chapter" I had Gohan go super saiyan. Since it's not stated I'll tell ya that the story takes place after the Buu saga and Goku never left with Uub (Uub isn't even in this story!). Gohan shouldn't have gone super saiyan because he's mystic now (which is a heck of a lot stronger anyway) and will remain that way throughout the story. Sorry for the little blurb here but I wanted to clear things up in case anyone decided to flame me for continuity reasons. Besides, I like to stay true to the series while trying to put more drama in it. It's my style I'm currently in, less humor and more story. Sorry, I'll shut up now and get off my soapbox. *Gets off soapbox* On with the story!-M.  
A/N 2: Ugh, sorry again! The INTERLUDE takes place during the last chapter where the Z warriors are coming back to Earth with Leviathan and then on. There ya go. Onward to story-type-thing now!  
  
  
***INTERLUDE...***  
  
Dende and Mr. popo watched in horror as the events unfolded before them. "Mr. Popo," Dende commanded, "head to Korin's Tower and get as many senzu beans as fast as you can! Go now!"  
Mr. Popo looked like he was about to protest, but seeing the seriousness in Dende's face changed his mind. He nodded and left. Dende clasped his hands together and focused his mind. He stretched his ki in an attempt to contact the Grand Kai. "Hear me Grand Kai," his mind said as he strained.  
  
The Grand Kai was hosting yet another martial arts tournament and all the seats were filled to capacity. There he sat, on his throne watching the final match of the tournament. Pikkon and Olibu were the finalists and were locked in combat. Both figters had grown stronger since Goku returned to the mortal realm and both were putting on quite a show. Pikkon eventually won the contest by knocking Olibu out of the ring. The crowd roared and cheered in approval! Pikkon was led to where Grand Kai was sitting to accept his prize and everyone waited for the Grand Kai to speak. He was silent however for a short time, being in contact with Dende. Then he stood up and motioned for Olibu to be brought over as well. When he walked up Grand Kai regarded both warriors sternly.  
"You guys did a great job out there today and I'll see that you get the rewards that ya have comin' to ya! But first, I gotta problem that I think both of ya can help me out with."  
"What is it Grand Kai?" Olibu asked.  
"Something's wrong with Goku and the Earth needs help."  
"Goku?" Pikkon said in disbelief, "What's wrong?"  
"There's a bad dude down there that's causin' a fuss and he's controlling Goku and his friends. They're about to attack their other friends who were left behind. I want you two to go down there and give them a hand until Goku and the others get better. I'll talk to King Yemma to get you guys on a roving pass until this mission is done. Now, get goin'!"  
"Right away!" Olibu said.  
"As you wish," Pikkon muttered. They both blurred to super speed and were on their way down to Earth.  
The Grand Kai strokked his long beard in thought, I hope they'll be enough to help! Then he blurred himself into superspeed and headed to King Yemma's Palace.  
  
"M...Master Korin?" Mr. Popo said hesitantly as he stepped into the tower proper. "Are..are you here?"  
"Greetings, Mr. Popo!" Korin said from behind him, causing poor Mr. Popo to jump.  
"Ahh! You scared me!"  
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," the mystical cat said with a smile. "Now, what brings you here?"  
"I need as many senzu beans as you can spare," Mr. Popo said desperately. "Goku and the others who have returned from New Namek aren't acting like themselves and they're about to attack their friends!"  
"Hmmm..." Master Korin muttered as her rubbed his chin. "Yajirobe was the one who really maintained the gardens and with him gone I can't produce as many as before."  
"Please," he asked claping his hands together before him, "we need all you can give, and we need them quickly or it'll be too late!"  
"Ahh, keep your turban on," Korin snapped and tossed him a pouch of senzu beans. "Here. These are all I have left, there's only three there so use them sparingly."  
Mr. Popo bowed hapily, "Thank you, oh, thank you, Master Korin!"  
He waved a paw indifferently, "Yeah, yeah. Now get out of her and help the Z Fighters!"  
Mr. Popo nodded and headed out. He was smiling with glee and clutched the precious bag close to his chest as he headed back to the Lookout.  
  
Dende frowned, he hoped the support from the Grand Kai would be enough. At least it should give the trio enough time to get out of harm's way. He also hoped that they would get there in time. Dende sighed as he headed toward the center of the tower. I'd best get my healing herbs and potions ready, he thought, just in case...  
  
"Only two more dragonballs to go," Yaumcha said. He turned to Bulma, "You got a reading on the next one yet?"  
Bulma slapped the dragonball radar in her hand a few times in frustration. "The tracker is acting up! I'll have to recalibrate it or else I can't get a reading."  
"Just tell me where to go," Master Roshi exclaimed as he glided the jet flawlessly across the sky. He put it into spins, flips and hairpin turns, causing everone to fall out of their chairs and bang around in the back.  
"Ow! Damnit, old man! Keep a steady course, if I drop the tracker we'll have to go home with a failed mission!"  
"Get off!" Chi-Chi screamed as she pulled a frying pan from her hair and slammed Oolong into the wall with a sickening crunch.  
Poar and Yaumcha were a chaotic mix of fur and hair all tangled up in the seat. Oolong slowly skid down to the floor as Master Roshi straightened out the plane. "He he, sorry folks! Just gettin' a feel for her, ya know?"  
All Master Roshi could hear was the growling of his teammates before he saw stars and everything went dark...  
  
The Grand Kai gently raised his ki to sense Goku's feelings. He was horrified by the backlash of emotions that hit him! Goku was totally consumed with hate and rage, as were the others...no wait! V...Vegeta?...yes! And...Piccolo! Suddenly, he smiled in understanding. Perhaps Pikkon and Olibu would be enough, hopefully. But it was best to err on the side of caution. His talk with King Yemma already over, he called the other Kai's to his place for a plan.  
  
"What do you think, Pikkon?" Olibu asked as they flew across SnakeWay.  
"It sounds bad," he answered flatly. Images of their past battles floated through his mind, he had come close to beating him once, now here was his second chance.  
"Do you think we'll make it in time?"  
"I hope so," he replied smiling. He sped up faster, the excitement and anticipation of getting to battle Goku again spurring him on. "Come on, Olibu! We need to hurry!"  
"I'm comin!" The two warriors flashed across the landscape nearly at their destination.  
  
"I got them Master Dende!" Mr. Popo shouted, holding up the bag in triumph!  
"Good! The Grand Kai said he'd be sending reinforcements and I can sense that they're already on their way. We'll give them the senzu beans and any other aid we can and hope for the best. The Grand Kai said he's sending his best warriors to help and I have no reason to doubt him. Now, all we can do is wait."  
  
"It was an accident!" Oolong complained as he rubbed the huge throbbing knot on his cheek. "I told you Master Roshi couldn't fly this thing!"  
"Just stay away from me," Chi-Chi warned. "I'm in no mood right now."  
Oolong muttered something under his breath and walked back to his seat. Master Roshi was bound and gagged next to him, a huge bulge on his head was visible where Bulma hit him. She had taken over as pilot and she was scouting for a place to land so she could fix the dragonball radar. "There's a spot!" Puar squealed.  
"Where?" Bulma asked looking out the window.  
"There," Puar replied, pointing to a small clearing on a mountaintop.  
"That'll do. Hold tight everyone, I'm sending 'er down!" She pushed forward on the stick and the ship began descending toward the clearing.  
The plane landed and everyone got out, including Master Roshi who was being carried by Yaumcha. He took the gag out of his mouth and set him down next to a tree.  
"Darn it! I said I was sorry! I promise I'll be good from now on!"  
"You just stay there for the time being, old man," Bulma snapped. He hung his head in resignation. With that out of the way she pulled out a toolbox from a compartment on the side of the plane and began making the adjustments to the dragonball tracker. The others (except for Master Roshi) stretched their tired limbs and relaxed in the cool air. It wasn't very long before Bulma fixed the dragonball tracker and the group left on the trail for the last two dragonballs. Master Roshi was still tied up and he voiced his displeasure over the treatment he was receiving to anyone within earshot...wich was everybody. His diatribe ended when Chi-Chi threw her frying pan sqarely into his face! With their latest annoyance conquered, the group continued on in their quest.  
  
Dende began to sweat, the Z warriors had arrived! Dende felt the power of the being that was Leviathan and his heart (do Nameks have them?-M) nearly stopped. That creature is so powerful! This doesn't look good! I hope...  
His thoughts were interrupted by Pikkon and Olibu who appeared before him. "We're here," Pikkon stated, "now, where's Goku?"  
"There over by Capitol City. Please, take these," Dende handed over the small pouch.  
"What are these?" Olibu asked.  
"They are senzu beans. Eat them and you will be restored to full health. Take care, these are the only three left!" Dende rummaged through a bag that was next to his feet and pulled out several stopped beakers filled with a blue liquid. "These are healing potions as well. They aren't as strong as the senzu beans but I didn't have much time to prepare them."  
Pikkon took the beans and gave the potions to Olibu. "Is there anything else?"  
"Yes, the Z Warriors are about to attack their friends. Remember they are being controlled by someone, they aren't evil. Subdue them if you can and get the others out of harm's way. Also, there's another being with the Z Fighters and his ki signature is awesome to behold! Be wary!"  
"Understood," Olibu said. Pikkon nodded.  
"Go now, before it's too late!"  
Dende blinked and missed it. They were already gone before he opened his eyes. "Do you think they stand a chance against the Z Warriors?"  
"I don't know, Mr. Popo. I hope so!"  
  
Good luck, thought the Grand Kai as he stretched out his ki to see the battle in his minds eye. Goku's son, Gohan had already leaped at the young woman, his deadly fist closing fast!  
***END INTERLUDE***  
  
  
  
Next: Pikkon and Olibu are here to help our beleagured heroes, but will it be enough? I'll try to have the next chapter up before the week's out. Sorry for this chapter being so small but I had a good head of steam and the Mountain Dew was kickin' and blinking counts as sleep, right??? Thanks for the reviews so far and keep 'em comin'! Also if you have any ideas on where the story should go, e-mail me or post it in a review. I got the next three or four chapters mapped out but after that it's anything goes. Hope you've enjoyed it so far and I'll see ya next chapter!-M.  
  
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	6. In the Nick of Time!

Videl could barely make out Gohan's fist coming at her through her tears. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to move/jump/duck/something!, and right now! But something kept her firmly rooted in place. Perhaps it was fear, or perhaps it was the thought that she couldn't bring herself to believe that he would actually go through with it. To her, time had slowed down to a crawl. He was still far enough away that she might be able to dodge his first blow, but a part of her yearned for him to be nearer. If she could get through to him, maybe she could change him back to the way he was. He's still there, I can feel it! I...  
Her mind stopped as Gohan was in full view of her. He was a mere three feet away from her and then she realized that she was going to die. There was no way for her to block his attack and he was too close to her to stop. She closed her eyes in silent defeat, waiting for the killing blow to strike her down. Her mind was filled with all the happy times they spent together and the images of them together at their own little training island, and all the way back to when they first met flashed by her. She could feel the heat from his aura, so full of violence and hate! Then she heard an explosion, the sensation of flying, and darkness...  
  
Pikkon and Olibu arrived just in time! Pikkon blurred in front of Videl and had his forearm raised to block the attack. The force of the blow knocked the woman out and sent her flying backwards. Pikkon's attacker, it had to be Gohan, he remembered Goku talking about his son all the time in the Spirit World, sent down a slamming elbow that was blocked again by him. All those hundreds of years of training were paying off in dividens now! He was so fast and strong, but his rage made his tactics simple and unrefined. Pikkon capitalized on this and dropped his guard, allowing Gohan the opportunity to attack. Gohan did, sending a ki-charged fist straight at Pikkon's face, but he anticipated the attack and leaned backward from the clumsy blow. For the briefest of moments, Gohan was unbalanced. It was all the chance Pikkon needed. His feet swept upward and he flipped, effectively bicycle-kicking Gohan on the chin, sending the enraged warrior back. Gohan had already regained his composure before he stopped skidding back from the force of the blow. He regarded Pikkon with a look of pure hatred! A small line of blood trickled down the side of his mouth.  
  
Olibu had his hands full with the other saiyans. He had pushed aside the blond-haired woman and headbutted the small, bald fighter which was enough to send him reeling. Goku and another golden-haired warrior were on him in an instant. The bald fighter with the third eye had two children fighting him! They were fast and tough by the looks of them, but he was holding his own against them. Olibu had seen Goku fight in martial arts tournaments before back in the Spirit World and didn't relish the fight that he was in now. He was obviously stronger and faster than he was before, but then again, so was he. The other golden-haired fighter was no slouch either and he used every trick in the book to keep them at bay. goku suddenly vanished. Olibu knew what was going to happen next, and his arm was up just in the nick of time to stop Goku's fist from punching through his head! The other warrior tried to capitalize on the situation and sent a powerful ki blast at his midsection. The warrior was too fast for Olibu to block the attack, but the blond woman slid in from the left and batted the attack away. She followed through with a kick but was blocked by the golden haired warrior. Olibu caught Goku's arm and twisted it, causing Goku to compensate by flipping so he wouldn't injure the arm. Olibu took into account Goku's agility and used it agianst him by not letting go and pulling him in closer. Goku's hate filled face winced as Olibu sent a crushing fist into it, then he released Goku and used his ki to push the warrior away.  
  
Pikkon knew he was in trouble when Gohan finally connected with a devistating right hook. Pikkon tried to roll with the punch, but the attack was too strong. He ended up on the ground but he pivoted and brought his knee up high enough to block the poundung attack from Gohan from above him. The green warrior, Piccolo Pikkon guessed, attacked now. Pikkon blurred and stooded behind Gohan, avoiding a knee attack that split the ground in two from Piccolo. Pikkon spent a precious moment to steal a look from the large monstrosity who had his arms crossed over his chest watching the battle with glee. The moment cost him as Gohan sucker punched him. He fell forward but used his ki to power up and shot forward with a quick burst of speed. His head connected with Gohan's, sending him sprawling. Out of breath, he blocked the furious attacks from Piccolo.  
  
"Do you see this, my Lord?"  
"What?" He walked over to the viewscreen and smiled. "It seems our friends aren't as helpless as we were led to believe. It doesn't matter, there's only two of them. Leviathan knows that if things go wrong, he'll finish the job."  
"Should we send in the robots now, my Lord?"  
He raised his hand dismissively. "Wait. Let's see what happens first."  
  
Videl slowly came back from unconsciousness. She was surprised to be alive and in the haze of her vision, it looked like...Piccolo fighting Piccolo? She shook her head and her vision cleared, she realized that there weren't two Piccolo's but he sure had his hands full. She looked over and saw 18 and a powerfully build blond man fighting Vegeta and Goku. Tien had his hands full with Goten and Trunks. Every time they tried to fuse he concentrated his attacks at one of them, disrupting their dance. She got up slowly, then had to quickly jump away from Piccolo who roughly skidded on the ground from a powerful blow from the other green warrior. She barely got out of the way in time! Then she dodged a ki ball, then another as Krillin took to the air and came after her!  
Her training with Gohan had been intense for her and she always pushed him harder and harder, trying to squeeze every last ounce of information from him. She was glad she paid attention now as she squared off against her friend. Krillin's face was crazed with rage and he screamed and flew at her blindly, trying to barrel through her. She held her ground and powered her ki up as high as she could. Then Krillin was on her. She caught his first punch and ducked under his quick roundhouse kick. He didn't let up though, she was fully on the defensive. Krillin's furious attacks came from all sides and angles. Her arms and legs were getting sore from each blocked attack. Suddenly he disengaged and floated backward with his arms raised up abouve his head. Thinking it was a trick, she didn't follow. Then she realized her mistake; his ki rose and a swirling disc of ki energy formed above his hands and then he threw his destructo-disc at her! She dodged the attack, but the edge of the blade cut her on the arm. The wound wasn't deep, but it was distracting enough that she was unprepared when Krillin came in and attacked. His fist connected across her face, sending her reeling! Not missing a beat, Krillin brought forth another ki ball and sent it down toward her. It hit her square in the stomach and she crashed down to the Earth below.  
She got up slowly, coughing up blood. She heard Krillin screaming at her from above and saw him streaking down toward her. Powering up with what energy she had left, she took to the skies flying right at Krillin. Krillin came down fast and she easily dodged the attack. As he passed her she grabbed his hand and heaved upward, slowing his momentum. She was holding a ki ball in her other hand and she shoved it right in Krillin's face!  
  
The robed figure raised an eyebrow. "She's quite...resourceful! He's stronger and faster than she is, but she got him with that attack. Interesting..."  
  
Videl's breaths were slow and painful but she didn't let up now that she was on the offensive. She charged a ki ball in each hand and flew toward the stunned Krillin. She pressed the ki balls into his chest and they exploded, she was blinded momentarily but she had a sense of grim satisfaction when she saw Krillin's unconscious body lying in a small crater of her own making.  
  
"Outstanding!" the robed figure said as he clapped his hands in glee. "She bested him! We may need to rethink our strategy with this world's remaining defenders."  
  
Tien elbowed Goten on the side of his head, finally rendering him unconscious. He didn't have time to dwell on it though as Trunks came in hard and fast. Tien powered up more, he was conserving his strength until he was fighting one on one and was able to make quick work of the little super saiyan. He looked around and saw Piccolo blur from his fight with the other green warrior and he reappeared behind Videl. "Videl," he screamed. "Look out!"  
  
"Huh?" she said straining to hear what Tien said. Then she felt Piccolo's ki presence from behind her. She whirled around, surprise marked on her face. Piccolo was already out of his training clothes and regarded her cooly. Without warning, he chopped her at the back of her neck. She fell forward, but before the darkness claimed her she heard him whisper to her, "I'll help you as soon as I can."  
  
Leviathan touched the communicator on his wrist. "Master, do you want me to intervene yet?"  
"No, I'm watching the battle as it progresses. The saiyans should be able to handle the rest."  
Leviathan looked down at the unconscious Krillin. "What of the small bald one, Master?"  
"Save him, he may still prove useful later. Just watch and enjoy the show, it'll be over soon."  
"I could end these beings pathetic existences in a moment, Master!"  
"I'll keep that in mind," he remarked dryly. "I want you to stay back."  
"Rrrr. As you wish, my Master."  
  
18 was lying on the ground unconscious and possibly dying. Olibu squared off against Vegeta and Goku, dodging and blocking blow after blow! The pure fierceness of the two super saiyans put him on the defensive. His centuries of training aided him in dodging and blocking, and since their attacks were based on pure rage they were taking risks a level headed warrior wouldn't. He picked and chose his shots well as Vegeta was slowing down with each assault. Goku on the other hand, was a pure fighting machine! He disengaged from the melee and began forming the Kamehameha Wave. Vegeta disengaged also and began his Final Flash. Blurring, Olibu easily dodged the attack, but the super saiyans were smarter than that. Goku and Vegeta waited till he appeared in the air and they sent their energy attacks at the reborn warrior. Olibu knew he was caught, but he also noticed something else. The other golden haired warrior subtly changed the angle of his attack and it hit Goku full on. Olibu was barely able to bat the Kamehameha Wave back at Goku who got hit with his own attack as well. The resulting firestorm from the blasts turned the surrounding area and miles beyond into a desolate desert!  
  
Leviathan's eye caught the subtle change in Vegeta's trajectory and smiled. Impressive! The dark-hearted warrior was somehow able to resist my phermones. He was also able to fool the Inquisitors! He cracked his knuckles in anticipation and called back his master.  
"I saw it. Do nothing," said the Master in a neutral tone.  
"But..." Leviathan stammered, "if he's resisting the others might be as well!"  
"This is unprecidented. I find it highly unlikely that they can resist the treatments of the Inquisitors. You were there during the test, were you not?"  
"Yes, Master. But..."  
"And did they pass?"  
Leviathan was getting angry now. "Yes."  
"It matters not to me if they will willingly follow my orders or not, their end will be the same. Relax, my zealous friend. In due time."  
Suddenly, his communicator exploded! Leviathan turned to see Vegeta's smiling face. "Aww, sounds like your communications device suddenly got a case of bad reception," he said smugly and punched Leviathan sending him sprawling and skidding across the ground!  
  
The robed figure smiled as he heard Vegeta's remark and saw his fist get really big in the viewscreen before it cut out. The underling switched to another view as he had plenty of spycams in the area. "Watch you back," he laughed silently.  
  
Pikkon and Piccolo blocked and defended each others attacks. Pikkon realized that Piccolo was holding back for some reason or another. It wasn't that he wasn't trying, it was like he was trying to tell him something. He didn't have time to dwell on the matter, because Gohan came at him full with rage! Piccolo backed off, allowing Gohan and Pikkon to mix it up for a minute or so. Tien was over now helping out Pikkon and Piccolo noticed that his third eye never left Piccolo's position. Piccolo decided that now was the time since Vegeta already gave himself away.  
"Tien, it's me Piccolo," he said telepathically.  
"What?" came the terse reply.  
"On three, we attack Gohan. Ready?"  
"As ready as I'll ever be!"  
"One...Two...Three!"  
As one, both Piccolo and Tien attacked Gohan. He was busy enough with Pikkon and Piccolo struck him from behind, causing him to fall. Tien sucker punched him as he fell forward, and Pikkon seized the oportunity and blasted him with a powerful ki blast that sent him flying off in the direction of Leviathan.  
"What took you so long to shake it?" Tien asked.  
"I wasn't enslaved, neither was Vegeta, but we had to maintain appearances until we found the right moment to strike."  
Tien laughed softly to himself. "Well, I'm glad you're still on our side!"  
Pikkon looked at Piccolo who nodded. He did in return. "Oh, god," Tien exclaimed.  
"What? What is it?" Piccolo asked.  
"18!"  
Piccolo cursed and went with Tien to 18. Pikkon looked over at Olibu and noted that he had things under control. Looking around some more he noticed the other golden haired warrior kneel down and picked up the body of the young girl. He then took to the skies. "Hurry you fools! They'll be back any second! We have to go!"  
"Where Vegeta?" Piccolo yelled.  
"The Lookout. It's the only relatively safe place I know." He flew off in that direction at top speed.  
Olibu had given 18 a senzu bean and she was awake in an instant. She looked at him questioningly. "No time for questions! We gotta go!" Piccolo barked.  
The reunited friends sped away just as Leviathan burst up from the ground where he was buried. He screamed in rage and was about to fly off after those pitiful insects and crush them when a metallic bug flew up to his face and beeped. The voice of his master spoke through the machine.  
"Gather the fallen and return to base."  
"But Master!"  
"No! Don't lose control of yourself now, you fool! Remember what happened last time you did that!"  
That thought sobered up Leviathan real quick. "Humph! What about the city?"  
"I'll let the robots do the dirty work. We need to plan now. They were lucky this time, it won't happen again."  
"Yes, my Master."  
He walked to the fallen warriors and slapped them awake. Gohan was already awake and was looking around for the ones who dared knock him out. Leviathan had his hands full getting Gohan under control for some reason as the more rage and hate he had inside of him seemed to make him stronger. Eventually he got him under control and they headed back to base.  
  
Videl awoke in bed. She was in a strange place and her side hurt like nothing else! It took her a few moments to get her bearings and she finally realized where she was. She was in Kami's Lookout. What the hell was she doing here? She wandered around until she heard voices and headed towards them. She got to the courtyard and there she saw that green warrior shaking Piccolo's hand. "It looks like our time here is up," Olibu said. "I wish we could stay longer and help you guys out."  
"As do I," Pikkon said smiling. "I guess I'll have to wait for that rematch with Goku. It was nice meeting you all."  
The two warriors from the Spirit World waved at the heroes and disappeared in a puff of smoke, back to where they came. "So, what do we do now?" Vegeta asked irritably.  
"We find out where their main base is and take it out before the whole planet falls," Piccolo said.  
"We are not strong enough to take out that...that...thing! Blast it! We don't even know where 'they' could be!"  
The rest were silent until Videl coughed. Dende came rushing over. "Videl! Are you feeling okay? You should stay in bed! You took a lot of damage today!"  
"I'm...I'm okay," she stammered weakly. "But Vegeta's right! How can we beat that thing? And what about...about...Gohan and the others?"  
"There are lost to us right now," Vegeta spat. "When you see them they are the enemy. You would do well to remember that!"  
Videl flinched involuntarily. Then she shuddered as Gohan's face came into her mind. "We don't stand a chance against them, do we?" she asked quietly, not expecting a response.  
Vegeta humphed while the others remained silent. Awkward moments of silence went by then Dende spoke up. "I might have something that may prove useful. The room of Spirit and Time is fixed and improved! Nnow there is no limit as to how many times you can enter it."  
Vegeta's eyes lit up at that. "It won't do us any good if it's not used," he said thoughtfully.  
""There is still only a two person limit thought," Dende warned.  
"What about the rest of us?" Tien asked.  
"While the others train the rest of us will scout out and search for their base. And keep your power levels suppressed, it will make them harder to detect you," Piccolo said.  
The others nodded. "Who's first?" 18 asked, referring to the Room of Spirit and Time.  
"I am," Vegeta said. Then he looked at Videl. "She will be with me."  
"What?" she asked.  
"Let's go," he said impatiently.  
"Why me?" Videl asked.  
"BecauseifIcantrainyoutoahighenoughlevelyoumightbeabletotakedowngohan! So," he said in a deep breath, " you ready?"  
Videl stared wide-eyed at Vegeta who stared back with his damnable no-nonsense demeanor. The others said nothing. "Fine," she sighed in defeat, "lets get this over with!"  
  
  
Next chapter: You thought boot camp was hard! Videl and Vegeta, together, for a year, in the Room of Spirit and Time. Also, we'll join the other group and see if they got another dragonball or not. Hope you like it so far! Send me a little something if ya do or not. I need more reviews!!! I should have the next chapter up in a week. See ya soon!-M.  
  
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	7. Boot Camp Part I Off to a Rocky Start

The door to the Room of Spirit and Time closed behind Vegeta and Videl. "Now," he said smugly, "we will train."  
"I don't see how you can train me to become stronger than Gohan," she protested. "You'd stand a better chance against him than I ever could!"  
"Shut up," he barked. "There's more to it than strength alone." The fight with Buu taught him that. "You are here to train, and it is I who will train you. Now stop babbling like an idiot and lets go, woman!"  
Dejectedly she followed him beyond the small living quarters to the near infinite expanse that was this pocket dimension. They walked for long minutes before Vegeta stopped. "What is it?" she asked.  
He looked around and felt that they were far enough away from the living quarters. "This will do," he said quietly.  
"What?"  
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up! She felt his ki rising to huge levels! His fists were closed as were his eyes. She took a step back in fear as he changed to super saiyan. He kept raising his power more and more! Gods, how much did he have? His whole form began to glow gold and it was then that he screamed. The ground shook so much that she was forced to take to the air. His ki was still rising! She couldn't look in his general area anymore, the aura surrounding him was so bright! Waves of ki assaulted her, burning the frayed edges of her clothes and forcing her back. Her arms were crossed in front of her face, trying to shield herself from the waves of ki being expended. Lightining shot forth from where he was out in all directions. The very air around her threatened to burst into flame! Then, as soon as it had started, the ki waves stopped. Videl dropped to the ground breathing hard. She was already sweating. She brought her head up to look at Vegeta and her eyes widened in awe and shock! He stood there but he had changed! His eyes blazed a pure golden light and ambient ki flared out from them. His hair was long and flowing and glowed like his eyes. Blue wisps of electricity discharged around him at intermittent intervals. His features were more angular and more defined. He always looked fearsome even in normal form, now he look terrifiying! The ammount of ki he was expending per second was nearly as much as that rare time she saw Goku in this form! "You...you've," she stammered, "you've reached...third level!"  
"Yes," he said calmly flexing his fists and arms. "It's still not enough though." She didn't know what scared her more, his look or his quiet voice. He turned toward her, electricity flaring from his eyes. "I am stronger still than Goku, but he has a slight edge in speed. Gohan is still stronger and faster by far."  
She knew it as well, but she couldn't believe her eyes. "Then what do we do? How can we win?"  
He smiled at her, casing shivers to run up her spine! "I will show you." The smile disappeared. "Attack me!" He got in a defensive position.  
"What?"  
"I said attack me, woman! Now!"  
His last statement caused her to jump a bit as she assessed the situation. She didn't have a chance against him! Then again, she didn't want to anger him either, so she powered up her ki as high as she could and flew at him, fists out and charged with ki!  
Vegeta easily dodged the attack by slightly moving his head to the left. She didn't stop though, she sent a flurry of fists at his face, but he was fast enough to dodge every attack. "Come on! You can do better than that!"  
Videl attacked again, this time adding kicks. She still wasn't able to touch him. Suddenly he brought his fist up and stopped it centimeters away from her face. She didn't even see it coming! Slowly, he lowered his fist. "That was pathetic! Don't tell me that that's all your mate taught you!"  
"He's not my mate," she said angrily. "He's..." she blushed.  
"Ugh! Spare me your drivel! Attack me again, this time like your life depends on it...because it will!" he added dangerously.  
She powered up again and came at him with kicks, punches, open-palm strikes, and ki blasts, but he still dodged every one. Noting his speed she decided on a new tactic. She attacked him from different angles, first high then low and then somewhat in the middle. He still dodged, and the funny thing was he still stood in the same spot! She went for a legsweep maneuver and he jumped over it and she attempted to hit him in the face with her fist at the same time, but he dodged it as well. "At least now you're starting to think," he scolded. He landed behind her and assumed another defensive stance. "Again!"  
He didn't raise a hand to attack, but his verbal jabs were doing a number on her. She was getting angrier as the seconds passed, increasing her ki to its uppermost limit. Blurring to superspeed she attacked him from all angles, still he dodged and kept up with his verbal attack. "Faster, woman! I'm going easy on you, don't expect the same from your precious mate!"  
Screaming, Videl launched herself at him with all she had! Moving ever so slightly, Vegeta dodged the clumsy attack and raised his knee before she even got to him. Her attack missed and the knee to the face sent her sprawling to the ground in a heap! "Sloppy!" he screamed as he blurred. Vegeta's fist crushed through the ground sending high-level earthquakes out in all directions, Videl barely moved her head out of the way in time! She flipped upright and assumed a defensive stance.  
"What the hell was that about? You would've killed me!"  
"You moved," he replied matter of factly as he pulled his arm out of the ground. His golden aura hasn't dissapated yet, she thought. How could he have this much energy?  
"Don't think," he said angrily and attacked. Her arms were raised in protection, but the attack didn't come from the front. He moved fast enough to catch her off guard and threw a punch from behind her. He stopped the punch from connecting, but the wave of force still pushed her forward, knocking her off-balance.  
She flipped forward and twisted, facing Vegeta and landing on her feet. His fist was still out in the striking position. Then he dropped his fist and lowered his ki enough for him to drop from super saiyan. "Pathetic! Goku's mate fights better than you! Hell, at this rate, Bra is better than you!"  
"What did you expect? I'm not a super saiyan! I'm not even a saiyan, I'm a normal human!"  
"What is your point?"  
"How can you ask that? You guys are stronger, faster! How do you think I can measure up to that?"  
"You can be smarter." Then Vegeta started walking back towards the living quarters.  
"Where are you going?"  
"Training for today is over. I learned the extent of your abilities and find them sorely lacking. Tomorrow we will start to fix that."  
"But..." she said, "we didn't do much today! We sparred for a minute, maybe two!"  
"Yes, and I can feel your ki dropping fast. If I kept up the pace, you would be dead, so we are done."  
Videl didn't realized how much the spar session took out of her. Her adrenaline was still pumping, but she could feel her ki dropping. She started to run after the disappearing Vegeta, "Wait up!"  
The pair ate in silence and she excused herself from the table, leaving Vegeta alone to scarf down heaping platefuls of food. Videl went right to bed, eager to start the next day's training. An hour or so later, Vegeta finished his dinner and walked about the living quarters. He could feel her aura and her exhaustion. It wouldn't get any better, he thought. It may come down to her or Gohan,, and he was here to make sure she lives through it! He left the living quarters, powered up to super saiyan and headed out. It was time for some training of his own.  
  
The tyrannasaurus chomped down, missing Master Roshi by inches! In the Turtle Master's hands was a dragonball. He ran for his life, the hungry dinosaur hot on his heels!  
  
Vegeta went super saiyan and beyond. Flexing his fists, he reveled in his newfound strength and speed. It's still not enough to defeat you, Kakarot! But soon, I will be! He blurred to super speed and trained until morning, the face of Goku goading him on.  
"Wake up, woman!"  
Videl awoke with a start! Vegeta stood in the doorway, covered with sweat and breathing hard. "Get ready for your training," he commanded then walked away.  
She dutifully got dressed and cleaned up for the day. Vegeta quickly showered and changed clothes and the pair went out beyond to train. After a while Vegeta stopped as did Videl. Vegeta looked around from side to side. "What is it," she asked.  
"Here is where your training shall begin. The nature of this place changes so be prepared. Power up."  
She did. Her white hot aura formed a protective barrier around her, and just in time! Suddenly the vary air around her pressed against her. Pressure assaulted her from all sides! She felt as if crushing weights were put on her shoulders! "What..." she exclaimed," what's...happening?"  
Vegeta stood oblivious to the changes around him. "Gravity changes here as does the atmosphere. Keep your ki up as high as it will go, if you do not you will surely die."  
Thanks for the warning, she thought sarcastically. The air became unbearably hot! The ground shook and molten magma poured forth. Slowly, Videl lifted herself with her power, the intense gravity still pput a great deal of strain on her. Vegeta's eyes were closed and he let the magma wash over him. "Vegeta!" Videl cried. She tried to move over in his direction, but her ki was taxed to the limit and she had to maintain focus to keep it that way. The pressure rose in strength, slowly forcing her down toeard the magma. Straining, she forced herself back up away from the deadly stuff. It suddenly got cold and the expansive plane become covered in ice! Videl was overcome with it as well as it grew over her and incased her inside. The mind-numbing cold was just as unbearable as the heat! She began to panic as there was no more air for her to breathe. She had reached a stalemate against the gravity with her power, achieving a sort of balance, but now there was no air! She fired a ki blast in order to shatter the ice surrounding her, but it was too thick for her to break. Then the ice disappeared in an instant. Videl breathed in deeply, going into shock from the extremes.   
The pair spent the whole day dealing with this chaotic environment. Vegeta, for his part, lent his energy when he felt like it was too much for her. She'd have to get used to it, if she was take down her mate. The rest of the fighters would have their hands busy with Goku, Krillin and that Leviathan creature. It got to the point where she was totally out of energy and she was depending on him just to survive. That's when they went back to the living quarters. She said nothing during the training, and accepted his commands when he gave them. The day was grueling for Videl! She could barely walk back to the living quarters! Vegeta offered no help and she didn't ask for any.   
The pair ate dinner in silence and when she was finished she excused herself from the table and went to bed. "Be prepared for tomorrow," Vegeta warned gruffly. "You'll see more of the same until you're able to handle it." Videl was too sore and tired to show her displeasure and she mechanically went to bed.  
Weeks passed of the same grueling torture. Slowly at first, her training focused on increasing her energy and harnessing it. Around the third week she didn't have to depend on Vegeta to give her any extra energy to survive. Videl really didn't have time to think of Gohan or anything other than her training during this period because of the extreme danger that the Room posed. After two more days Vegeta finally decided to go forward with her training.  
  
Master Roshi hid behind a large rock. He was breathing hard and that damn dinosaur was on his heels for most of the day! A full minute passed in silence and Roshi decided it was safe enough to step back out on the path. The others were waiting for him and they still needed to find the last dragonball! Stepping back onto the path, he was too lost in his thoughts to notice the large, reptillian shadow that hovered over him. His ki picked it up however and the chase was on once again! Eventually Master Roshi found himself cornered. The large Tyrannosaur licked it's lips hungrily at the cowering, scrawny human. Master Roshi dropped the dragonball as the dinosaur closed in. "Oh, well," he said out loud, "I really didn't want to do this, but I guess I have no choice!"  
His mass increased immensely! Muscles that looked like they were never there suddenly bulged from his arms and chest. The dinosaur, unimpressed, slowly stalked toward the Turtle Master, eager for it's next meal. Gathering his ki, Master Roshi brought his hands to his side..."KA-ME-HA-ME..."  
  
Bulma stared at her watch impatiently. That dirty old man was gone all morning! Where the hell could he be? She was about to ask that same question aloud for the hundredth time when a bright blue light illuminated the night sky and a large explosion followed. "What the hell was that?" she asked excitedly.  
"It felt like Master Roshi," Yaumcha replied, looking at the rising cloud of smoke beyond the mountain lake where they landed.  
"Do you think he's okay?" Chi-Chi asked.  
"He should be," Yaumcha said as he smiled, " he's a tough old man!"  
"Old pervert you mean!" Bulma shot back.  
  
About an hour later they saw Master Roshi walked out from the forest, holding the dragonball triumphantly in one hand, in the other he dragged the (well-cooked) caracass of the dinosaur. "Hey!" he called out. "Anyone hungry?"  
  
  
  
One more dragonball to go! And what does the Grand Kai have in store for our heroes (see the INTERLUDE for an inkling)? Will Videl survive her training with the harsh Vegeta? What about the others? Does Videl have what it takes to defeat Gohan? And what the HELL was Vegeta thinking anyway??? Tune in next time when I will attempt to answer some of the questions and possibly raise some more. See ya next time, later!  
  
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	8. Boot Camp Part II Videl vs Vegeta Mor...

The weeks worn on and the training was just as grueling as before, if not more. Vegeta's teachings awarded her with more energy than she ever thought possible, and greater control over it. He used his own ki against her, weighing her down along with the greater gravity of the Room. His ki was up to a high level but he hadn't gone super saiyan yet. Videl, with her newfound strength, was powered up as well and they squared off against each other. The heavy gravity made her a lot slower than he but she came at him with all the fury she could muster. His arms were up and blocked her attack. Undaunted, she came at him again unleashing blow after blow which were blocked in sequence. She kept up the pressure and hours passed before her ki dropped to a point where it was too low to continue.  
Vegeta was silently impressed by her drive. She never disobeyed his commands and her ki level rose daily. He pushed her constantly, never brooking failure or even the slightest hint of slacking. He was pleasantly surprised by her eagerness to learn and train. She would've made an acceptable saiyan, he thought. If things were different, she could've attained the legendary power of super saiyan by now. Even as a human, she was stronger than most. Still, time was a precious commodity and they were running out of it fast. He resolved that the next day she would spend twice as long at full power and hold it. Her ki attacks were coming off better as well. She was sharp enough to think quickly on her feet, and this helped her to conserve her energy and pick and choose her attacks, rather than clumisly waste her energy on useless attacks. She had already surpassed many warriors that he worked with in his youth. She was stronger than Krillin and Yaumcha already, and getting very close to that three-eyed mystic, Tien. Maybe he'd have enough time to get the job done after all...maybe.  
Videl greatly welcomed the warm bath and the soothing bath oils that came with it. Every muscle, nerve ending, and bone was sore beyond belief! Slowly and gingerly she entered the bath tub, hissing at the heat of the water. It took her a few minutes to finally lay down in the tub. She was sure that several of her ribs were bruised, and she wasn't sure if any of the scars on her back would ever go away. Her bath time was the only time that she had that was devoted only to herself. It was during this one hour she had a day to herself that she'd let her mind wander. She saw Gohan constantly in her nightmares and the look on his face as he attacked her. She still felt the person inside and it wasn't the one on the outside that concerned her. During the battle she felt a brief glimse of sorrow from him and she knew then that he was being controlled as the others were. If she could only reach him, perhaps they had a chance of converting the others.  
Her musings were interrupted by a rough knock at the door. "What is it, Vegeta?" she asked, frantically grabbing for a towel.  
The door didn't open, but she heard his muffled voice from beyond the door. "When you are...decent...I want you to come walk with me." Then she heard his footsteps walk away. What the hell could he possibly want now? She hurried with her bath and put on some clean clothes. She searched the living quarters and eventually found Vegeta standing with his back toward her outside the living area, staring out at the endless expanse before them.  
"What is it Vegeta? What did you want to talk about?"  
He didn't turn around to face her. "Tell me," he said softly, which always scared the living daylights out of her. "Do you think you can defeat Gohan, your mate?"  
Not in a million years, she thought. "Honestly?" was her questioning reply. He barely nodded in response. Her eyes became downcast, "No."  
Silence greeted her as long moments passed. Then he spoke, "You are right."  
Anger welled up within her and threatened to boil over. "Then what the hell are we doing here? Why the HELL are you training me then?"  
"Because, " he said, his voice still soft, "you will be the one who confronts him while the others and I deal with the main enemy."  
She looked at him incredulously, "And how do you expect me to pull that off? Besides, he's not my 'mate' as you like to call him!" Her anger was rising steadily.  
He turned on her suddenly, his face was stoic and betrayed no emotions. "Then what is he to you?"  
She was taken aback by his abrupt question and she could feel herself blush with her combination of anger and feelings. "He's..." she stammered.  
"He's what?" Vegeta pressed angrily as he closed in on her. She took several involuntary steps back.  
"He's..."  
"Is he nothing more than a toy to you? Is he a piece of meat, is that it? To be used and then thrown aside?"  
"No...it's...it's not like that at all! I..."  
"What? Answer me now, woman, before I end this conversation permanently!" She felt his ki began to rise dangerously.  
Videl always had problems with her emotions, especially with those of the opposite sex. Gohan was different, however. She never felt threatened in his presence and he was always very kind and gentle toward her. She knew that he loved her but did she really love him? Before he left to New Namek with the others her and Gohan were going steady for almost a year. The relationship was very easygoing and she knew everyone from his family approved of her. She knew the misgivings/blessings from her own father but none of it mattered to her. She was with him, that's all that mattered. All her feelings that she had repressed since he left resurfaced all at once. Tears fell from her eyes as her body shook from her anger and frustration. She powered up her ki involuntarily and leaped at Vegeta, fists out.  
"Yes, you bastard! I love him! I want him more than anything else in the world!" she cried as she pounded her fists against Vegeta. Tears flowed freely from her face as she struck him repeatedly. He didn't resist her assualt. "Why? Why did you leave me?" she sobbed as she hit him. Vegeta stood there as she hit him, dropping his ki down to nothing. Eventually she stopped hitting him and kneeled before him sobbing.  
Finally she stopped and she looked up at him. Tears still streaked down her face. "Why?"  
His fierce eyes bored into her. No response was forthcoming for him. He stood there in silence for a minute, his intense glare tearing right through her. Then he walked past her back to the living quarters. "Get some rest," he said gruffly, "Tomorrow will be a long day."  
  
Piccolo and Tien flew over the ruins that was left of Capitol City. The robots made quick work of the military and of the city itself after the Z Fighters retreated. The two warriors landed and surveyed the damage. "This is horrible!" Tien exclaimed as he looked at the devistation. "Nothing could've survived this!"  
"Be glad that everyone was evacuated," Piccolo muttered. He stretched his senses, trying to pick up anything out of the ordinary. He felt the lingering energy signatures of the robots and of the great creature Leviathan. Then he found what he was looking for. He smiled, I found you...  
  
"What was that?" Vegeta spat as Videl fell from his attack for the hundredth time. "Get up!"  
"Bastard," she hissed through clenched teeth. Every bone in her body hurt. She wanted to lay down and die. Seeing her unhurt(and untouched) instructor standing there all indignant and defiant was what was goading her on. She forced herself up to one knee then the other then she stood. Her ki burned white-hot as she launched herself at him again.  
The days stretched on into weeks as their training continued. Vegeta never answered her questions about why he asked her how she felt about Gohan Apparently her answer seemed to satisfy him. She knew she loved Gohan, but she didn't realize how much she loved him. Vegeta's simple question put all that into perspective. It strengthened her resolve and made her fight and train harder than before. Perhaps that was Vegeta's plan all along, she thought.   
Vegeta's power level was holding steady, barely under super saiyan. Soon he would need to go that high else she might actually hit him. She was improving daily and when he felt that she was backing down he made his displeasure known. It was enough to get the best out of her. His musings were interrupted by a blindingly fast kick that barely scratched him on the side of his face. He blocked the next attack and the next, but she was coming at him faster than ever! Smiling, he went super saiyan and started striking back.  
He went super saiyan already? I didn't think I was ready for this yet, she thought. His strength and speed were increased expodentially and she found herself on the defensive now. His punches and kicks would leave bruises on her arms and knees, but she was able to dodge and block his furious attacks now and even throw a punch or two in return. That was the first day of her training against a full super saiyan.  
Now that he didn't need to hold back as much, he came at her with a savage fury that made her think like she was fighting for her life rather than training. The next two weeks were tougher on her as Vegeta used his powers to increase the gravity around her and still expect her to block his attacks and strike back as well. When they rush at each other, their ki auras discharged bolts of energy as they attacked each other. Still, for every hit Videl was able to deliver, Vegeta struck two and his reserves of energy were still greater than hers. At least she wasn't the only one returning to the living area with bruises anymore! The training continued without interruption.  
"BIG BANG ATTACK!" Vegeta roared as the ball of destructive energy flew straight at her chest.  
She was ready for it. Using the techniques he taught her, she caught the ball of energy with both her hands and strained against the sheer power of the destructive attack. Her arms buckled slightly as the ball tried to force it's way to it's intended target. She didn't move but the sheer force of the attack was slowly moving her backward. Focusing her ki, she screamed and the ball began to shimmer as she used her ki to dissipate the attack. The ball exploded sending shockwaves of energy out in all directions. Videl used all of her energy to shield herself from the blast and remain in place. Slowly she was able to see again as her eyes adjusted to normal light from the blinding flash. She breathed heavily and stretched out her senses to locate where Vegeta had gone. "Ha! Got you!" she exclaimed as she turned and looked up.  
Vegeta's hands were together in front of him, kind of like the Kamehameha Wave attack, but instead in front instead of from the side. A large blue ball of energy formed in his palms and shot forth at her. "FINAL FLASH!"  
Videl leapt to the air before the ball hit her, but she didn't hear the explosion of his attack. She looked down and was horrified to see the energy ball following her. Turning and weaving, she couldn't shake the attack. Turning on it she brought all the ki she had to her hands and grabbed the energy ball. It was too powerful for her to dissipate so she did the next best thing. Screaming, she threw the ball to the ground with such great force that even Vegeta had to shield himself from the resulting explosion. Her power spent she fell to the ground unconscious. Vegeta caught her before she made it to the ground. When she awoke she was in bed back at the living quarters.  
"I..." she began weakly.  
His frowning face turned to look at her from the wall where he was leaning. "I...need more...training."  
"First you will need to heal," he commanded. "Today took more out of you than I would have liked. I thought you were ready and I was wrong."  
"What are you...talking about?" she asked as she sat up in the bed slowly.  
"You almost died out there today," was her reply.  
Really? Only today? Here I was thinking every next second could be my last, she thought sarcastically. "What do you mean?" she asked, anger rising in her voice. "I blocked your attacks like you taught me to."  
"Yes, but they were too strong. In order for us to succeed we will need everyone alive and well enough to fight. If I accidentally killed you, we would be at a greater disadvantage than I am willing to risk."  
"Don't forget about the dragonballs," she said dryly. "I can always come back."  
"That's not the point," he spat back angrily. "The point is you will heal for a week then we will continue your training."  
"A week! I won't sit around doing nothing while..." she said as she stood up, and then fell back down to the bed, nearly passing out.  
"You are injured," he said matter of factly, "and you need rest. So rest and heal."  
She mumbled something in response, but it was all garbled. Vegeta frowned and left her to rest. He left the living quarters and took to the air. He landed out in the great expanse and smashed his fist to the ground. Damnit! We don't have time for this! She's so close, even I can feel it! He raised his hand from the crater that was now in the ground. He powered up to third level super saiyan and went through several katas and exercises. I have to be careful. I forgot that she isn't a saiyan, she's only a human. Damn their frailty!  
He practiced well into the week, stopping only to eat and to take short naps. He said nothing to her as he went back and forth and she said nothing in return. That week for Videl was pure hell. She was barely able to walk, much less do anything else. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were the only real times she ever saw Vegeta and he wasn't much of a conversationalist to begin with. Confined to the state she was in, she found different ways to train and keep her mind sharp. Finding it harder to walk around where she needed to go she used her ki to either bring things to her, which was arduous enough, or she would use her ki to force herself up and she'd hover to where she was going. Using her energy to move herself was worse than picking up things like chopsticks, forks, spoons and bowls. Her total concentration was needed for the task and when she did it she found that her nose bled and she had severe headaches for hours afterward. Still, it was a way for her to train and she welcomed the pain. It was better than the alternative...boredom.  
Without her knowing it, Vegeta watched her from afar. He silently approved of her methods, even though she still risked getting injured more. He surprised himself when he thought how lucky Gohan was to have such a fierce warrior for a mate, even if he didn't know it yet! She was the one who would face him though and her feelings for him would be put to the ultimate test. It was his job to make sure she was ready and he wouldn't disappoint.  
Between sleeping and stretching her ki to make use of it, Videl was bored. Time slowed to a crawl as she regained her strength. She was afforded the 'luxury' of 'free time' and didn't want any of it. Her thoughts eventually drifted to Gohan and she would end up crying. Vegeta would come around then and make a remark to her that would piss her off. It made her hate Vegeta with a passion, but it kept her mind off of him. It also gave her something to look forward to when she was back to full health, Vegeta's face getting punched in over and over!  
In actuality, it took Videl almost two weeks to fully heal. But she was twice as committed as before. "So," Vegeta began smugly, "did you enjoy your rest?"  
She flexed her arms to get the last of the soreness out of them. "I've been waiting for this," she replied.  
Vegeta smiled evily. "As have I." He powered up to super saiyan. Videl powered up as high as she could.  
"Ready?" she asked.  
"Let's go!" The two warriors squared off and flew at each other. Videl never felt stronger thanks to her new way of training and she was eager to show that arrogant asshole a thing or two! She would get her chance in a second as he came at her with all the fury a super saiyan could give...  
  
  
  
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Just to let ya know both Goten and Trunks are still in the evil camp, sorry if I missed that. Thanks for the criticism as well. This things become an underground cult favorite, thanks to the e-mails I've gotten (102 at last count, and only 9 reviews!!!!). Now if only I can get more reviews(hint, hint). I'm starting to feel like the Kevin Smith of Fanfiction.net! Anyway I hope you like the story so far and I'm writing it as the story comes to me. If you have any other questions about the story or if you have any ideas feel free to e-mail me or post it in a review. I've gotten some great ideas from people via e-mail and I think they'll be pleasantly surprised as the story unfolds. I've got the main plot fleshed out but I'm always open to new ideas, as all writers should be. If ya like it give me a buzz, even if ya don't I'd like to know why and I'll see if I can change it. Flames are welcome of course if they are written intelligently and without malice. Basically if you have a point. Otherwise don't even bother. Sorry, I'll get off the soapbox now.  
Next time: Training continues for Videl and she has a surprise for Vegeta! The Grand Kai makes a decision that could affect the Spirit World, and we'll take a look at Bulma and the others on their quest to find the last dragonball. I'll see ya next time...later!  
  
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	9. Boot Camp Part III The Truth Behind th...

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Gohan spiraled down in darkness. He was fully aware of what his body and mind were doing and the split-second timing of that green warrior saved Videl's life. He was powerless to stop himself, locked away deep into his subconscious mind. He was cut off from himself and his powers, but was still left fully aware of the destruction and heartbreak he was causing. He screamed in anger as he fell further into his own mind...

  


  
  


  


"So," The Grand Kai spoke as he stroked his beard, "here's the plan." The three still-living kai's antennae twitched as they leaned in closer on the table. "Gather the top three greatest warriors of your camps and have them meet me at King Yemma's Palace in a day's time. That cool cat, King Yemma has granted me and those of my choosing three days of life. We'll be headin' to Earth to help those people down there until things get fixed. North Kai will stay here and crash out at my pad and oversee things up here, ya got it?"

  


The others nodded and scrambled to get their best fighters ready. Chaos ensued at the Grand Kai's planet as he sent the ball into motion. Soon, he'd bring the best of the best to help out down there, and it sounded like they needed all they could get!

  


  
  


  


Videl and Vegeta had been training for two days straight. He panted heavily and sweat streamed down his forehead in a torrent. His gold aura flared as he caught a powerful ki blast in his outstretched hands. Screaming, he threw the blast back at Videl. She nimbly dodged it and it exploded as it hit the ground, sending shard of rock out in all directions. Her ki hasn't started dropping yet, he thought. She's grown faster and stronger than any full-blooded human before her and she's putting up one hell of a fight! He brought his arm up as he blocked Videl's kick. Her aura glowed just as brightly as his but had gone from white to a duller silver sheen. He noticed when the change first happened weeks ago as her attacks came faster and stronger than ever before. He needed to be in super saiyan form constantly now otherwise he would've borne the brunt of the damage during the training now. Her will and spirit were strong indeed.

  


Vegeta attacked, sending fists flying from all directions. She kept her eyes firmly locked on him and weaved away from each attack as he did when their training first started. Her stance never wavered nor did her guard. Reassessing the situation, Vegeta jumped back and bent his knees, powered his ki higher for an all-out assault. She stood there, never taking her eyes off of him. Her hands were raised defensively and her legs were crouched down; she was ready for him. He leaped at her with his fist out, charged with ki. She jumped, avoiding the attack. Not missing a beat, Vegeta pivoted on his wrist and kicked upward. Videl flipped backward as his kick barely missed her. He was already on her as her feet touched the ground. She blocked a blow to her chest with her arms and ducked under his head butt attack that followed. She connected with a kick to his chin and followed through with a spinning knee that knocked him back. She completed her flip and landed in a defensive stance, breathing heavily. He stared at her as he wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth.

  


"You're training is progressing well," he panted. "Now let's go further." He screamed as his golden aura flared to life. The winds picked up and Videl was forced to shield her eyes as small debris and dust swirled around her. His muscle mass increased slightly and he grew somewhat taller. His transformation complete he regarded her with a new sense of purpose. "Ready?" he asked. She nodded, and he came at her faster and stronger than before...

  


Videl slumped into the bathtub letting the hot water work on the soreness of her muscles. Every nerve in her body cried out in agony, but she smiled nonetheless. He had to ascend in order to keep up with her! True, he beat her down after that but it was a small victory for her. They were coming close to the halfway mark in their training and she needed every little victory she could get. She smiled, her father would hardly recognize her! She had grown a full two inches taller and the rest of her body was as toned as she thought it would ever get. She let her mind drift stretching out her ki using meditation exercises she learned from Vegeta. Minutes passed until...

  


  
  


  


Gohan fell further still deeper into the recesses of his own mind. Cut off completely from everything he despaired whether he'd ever escape this prison. Suddenly, from out of nowhere he felt a familiar presence. It was Videl, her spirit was as strong as ever! In a rush, he was consumed by the feeling. Their spirits linked for a brief second and the sensations was beyond all imaginings! "Videl!," he screamed. He raised his ki as high as he could to maintain the link, but it was gone in a flash.

  


  
  


  


"Gohan!" Videl jumped out of the tub in shock. She felt him! For the shortest of moments their spirits were linked in a way that never happened before. Not even noticing how naked she was she ran off to Vegeta's bedroom.

  


"Vegeta!" she yelled as she burst through the door. "I felt him! I felt Gohan!"

  


"Wha?" he asked sleepily. He rubbed his eyes as he grew accustomed to the darkness, then his eyes went wide!

  


"He's still alive," she exclaimed. 

  


"Of course he is," Vegeta snapped, averting his eyes.

  


"No, you don't understand," she said walking over to him. Vegeta put the pillow over his head, thankful that the darkness covered his blushing face. "Are you even listening to me?"

  


Her answer came forth but she couldn't understand it due to the pillow over Vegeta's face. Exasperated, she grabbed the pillow and threw it across the room. She got right in his face and stared at him angrily. Vegeta, in vain, tried looking around her, at the ceiling, at the door, anything except right at her!

  


"I felt him in a way I never had before," she said. "I felt his entire being. He's trapped and he can't get out!"

  


"You've bonded," Vegeta replied as he turned around on the bed, pulling the covers over himself. "Congratulations, it's about time. Now...if you don't mind...PUT SOME FUCKING CLOTHES ON, OR GET OUT!"

  


It took her a few seconds to register his outburst, red-faced and wide-eyed she ran from his room to hers. She quickly put on her training outfit and ran back to Vegeta's room, but he wasn't there. She stretched out her senses and found him outside the compound. She left the building and walked over to where he stood. He was dressed in his blue muscle t-shirt and training pants. His arms were crossed over his chest and he stared out to the endless expanse. Meekly she walked up behind him. "Um," she began softly.

  


"Are you decent?" he asked harshly.

  


She flinched and blushed at the same time. "Yes," was her reply.

  


"Good. I'll bet you have some questions for me now?"

  


She nodded, still too embarrassed to say anything. Vegeta took the moment of silence as a yes. "You're wondering about the connection you felt with Gohan just a short time ago?"

  


"Yes," she replied.

  


"It's what we saiyans call bonding. When two spirits touch and are found compatible they bond together in a way that almost defies meaning. It is how we saiyans find our mates."

  


"Mates? You mean like getting married?" She started to blush a bit.

  


Vegeta closed his eyes and smiled. "You humans have no concept what it's like when you bond with a saiyan. Only Bulma and Chi-Chi and now you know what it feels like."

  


"But..." she stammered.

  


"Get over it," he said in a hard tone. "You've just begun the bonding process, there's more to it than connecting your spirits."

  


"It was just a brief second, I couldn't hold the connection."

  


"It will come with time. You know," he said, his smile broadening, "Bulma was the one who initially bonded with me the first time."

  


"How?"

  


He sighed, "That damn woman! Her fire was what set off the bond. I couldn't stand her! And yet, there was something about her that intrigued me. I didn't realize what was happening before it was almost too late."

  


"What do you mean?" she asked.

  


"She forced those god-awful things she calls meals down my throat every chance she got! That was another sign. And her mother! Gods, cookies and cakes everywhere! I swear I thought they were fattening me up so they could cook me later!"

  


"Get to the point, Vegeta."

  


"My point is that once the bonding process has started it grows over time. The two spirits are almost in constant contact with each other, but you don't even know it. It's a failsafe mechanism that allows one to know when the other is in danger. But that's just scratching the surface."

  


"I know when Gohan's been in trouble before, all I had to do was sense for his ki signature. How is that different from the bond?"

  


"The bond is so much more," he replied. "Take Kakarot and Chi-Chi for example. Those two, I hate to say it, are meant for each other. Kakarot is an idiot, pure and simple. Chi-Chi is the other part of him that makes him complete...if that's possible," the last he uttered under his breath. "Once the bonding is complete a transformation of sorts comes over them, heightened senses, an awareness of danger, and a feeling of indescribable completeness. This doesn't happen overnight, it takes time. The nature's of the bonding spirits need to find a stable ground to grow. It could take months or years depending on how combative the two spirits are toward each other. It took Bulma nearly a year before she was able to find that middle ground with me."

  


Videl smiled sarcastically, it's a wonder they bonded at all, she thought.

  


"I suspect Kakarot and Chi-Chi took less time, given his damnable easy-going nature," Vegeta mused. 

  


"How do you know when and who you are going to bond with?"

  


"It just happens," he shrugged. "Why do people fall in love? It's a question that can't be answered. The bonding can happen at any age. Back on Vegeta, when I was young and doing my initial training several other warriors that were about Gohan's age when we fought Cell were already bonding with saiyan women. When it happens it happens, and it's for life."

  


"Can the bond be broken?"

  


"Not even death can permanently break the bond. However, for the one left alive the days can prove...troublesome. Chi-Chi would know what I speak of. Death does weaken the bond, but no more. From what I'm told the still living mate feels hollow and incomplete. However it is only temporary. When the other one goes to the spirit world the spirits are reunited once again. We saiyans haven't encountered any other races yet that have anything akin to the bond."

  


"So, you think Gohan and I are bonded somehow?"

  


"Of course," he replied. "Frankly, I'm surprised it's taken this long for it to become a reality. I thought you two would have bonded a while ago."

  


"But that's such a big step," she said shakily. "I don't know if I'm ready for that yet."

  


"It doesn't matter. You initiated the bonding process. Obviously you are ready."

  


"But," she stammered. He raised his hand, "Enough talk. Look, it's not a bad thing. It's the most wondrous experience you'll ever have and you will constantly be in that state for the rest of your life."

  


"If it's so wonderful," she countered, " then why are you so pissed off all the time?"

  


His right eyebrow twitched, and he flexed his arms to keep himself under control. Gods, she acts like Bulma! Gohan's gonna have his hands full with this one! "It has nothing to do with the bond," he replied evenly. "My reasons are my own, so stay out of my business."

  


"Sorry," she replied, stiffening a little.

  


He sighed in exasperation. "I don't know why I'm trying to prove this to you," he explained. She looked over at him and he appeared to be in deep thought. A few moments passed.

  


"Fine," he said evenly. "If this doesn't prove the power of the bond, nothing will." He stretched out his hand to her.

  


"What are you talking about?"

  


"No more questions," he said quietly. "Take my hand and open yourself up. Free your mind and relax."

  


She gave him a sidelong glance, not knowing what he was up to. "Hurry up," he snapped causing her to jump, "we don't have all day!" Gathering her courage she took his hand.

  


Vegeta's eyes closed and his face changed from his normal hardened appearance to one of pure serenity. A faint golden glow outlined his features and enveloped Videl as well. She opened her ki to him and relaxed.

  


Slowly at first then in a rush, her body was suffused with the power and sensations of Vegeta. It was a warm felling, a feeling of violence and chaos at first, then it gently subsided to that of completeness and happiness. Vegeta and Videl were one and he poured the sensations through her. Then she began trembling as she felt the bond between him and Bulma. She felt the wholeness of their two spirits intertwined and perfectly balanced against the other. Waves of pleasure rolled over her in time with his heartbeat. Feelings that she couldn't even begin to describe assaulted her senses. The full range of emotions struck her all at the same time, yet the sensations weren't as chaotic as she would've thought, everything was in perfect harmony. She felt their pains, their sorrows and their joys all at once. Her legs trembled and she began shaking. She could feel herself crying from the sheer shock of emotion and sensations. Gently and slowly Vegeta ended the link. Videl dropped to her knees, breathing heavily and trembling. Minutes passed before she finally regained her composure.

  


"That...that was...incredible!"

  


"Now do you see?"

  


She nodded, "I can't believe feelings like that could even exist! How can you concentrate with all that going between the two of you?"

  


"You get used to it in time," he replied. "After a while you almost don't realize it's there. Satisfied?"

  


"Yeah."

  


"Good," he said as he turned back toward the compound. "We pick up on our training tomorrow. I suggest you get some rest." He took off flying back to his room, leaving Videl there staring in wonderment at him. Her mind was awash with all the new discoveries and experiences that he tantalized her with. She wanted to know more!

  


  
  


  


18 watched Marrion play with Mr. Popo. Piccolo and Tien should be reporting back soon, she thought. Her thoughts drifted to Krillin and the others who were still under thrall to Leviathan. She looked out towards the sky, the sun was beginning to set and still no sign of Piccolo or Tien. She began to get worried. She left Marrion under Mr. Popo's care and headed into the building proper to look for Dende. Wandering the empty dark halls made her feel even lonelier than before. She found Dende in his meditation chamber but he appeared to be otherwise occupied in deep thought. She waited for several minutes at the door until he finished. He opened the door with a huge smile on his face.

  


"Oh!" he said somewhat startled. "Sorry, 18, I didn't see you there, but I have great news!"

  


"What is it?" she asked.

  


"I just gone done talking to King Kai. He's gathering the best warriors he can to come down here to help us, isn't that great?"

  


18 smiled and nodded. "We can use all the help we can get When will they arrive?"

  


"King Kai and the others will be here in a few hours. They'll have three days of life granted to them by King Yemma. With their help we shouldn't have any problems against our enemies."

  


"Have you heard from Piccolo or Tien yet?"

  


"Yes I have. I told them about our reinforcements and they're on their way back. Piccolo said he found their base. Tomorrow Vegeta and Videl will be done in the Room of Spirit and Time so we should all be ready to attack their base."

  


"I can't wait," she replied cracking her knuckles. "I owe that Leviathan creature a few hits where it counts!"

  


"King Kai and I will be going over several strategies to get our friends back. I know the others are just as ready to stop this menace. I also heard from Chi-Chi. They're having trouble locating the last dragonball, but she said it won't be a problem."

  


"Good. Thanks Dende," she said smiling.

  


He smiled back. "Soon all this will be over and we can get back to our lives. You should get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

  


She nodded and left. Dende raced out to the courtyard, anxiously awaiting the return of Piccolo and Tien.

  


  
  


  


"All right, settle down cats!" King Kai commanded. Pikkon, Olibu and seven other warriors quieted down as they entered King Yemma's Palace. A underling led each warrior in one at a time and when they left the presence of King Yemma their halos were removed. King Yemma's desk was stacked with the necessary paperwork for each warrior and he took out his approval stamp and got to work.

  


After the last warrior exited the Palace King Kai gathered them around him. "Now, you all now this is a temporary gig, right?" They all nodded. "Dende's expectin' us so let's not keep 'em waitin'. Pikkon, Olibu, you two will lead the first wave down there and we'll be right behind ya."

  


"Yes sir," they said in unison. The blurred to super speed and were gone.

  


"Three days ya hear?" The others nodded. "Let's go and give what help we can!"

  


"Yes sir!" the others yelled. Then they disappeared.

  


  
  


  


  
  


  


  
  


  


Next Chapter: Training comes to a close for Videl and Vegeta and the reinforcements arrive. The setup begins for the final confrontation between Earth's last defenders and their enemies...their former friends! See ya next chapter!

  
  
  
  



	10. Boot Camp Part IV Harsh Lessons and Gr...

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Silver fire enveloped Videl as she powered up. Vegeta was already in ascended form and waited expectantly for her attack. Two months had gone by since he showed her what the saiyan bond felt like and since then she pressed him with more questions about it. The only response she was given was to wait and find out for herself. She tried contacting Gohan every day to no avail, and it was seriously affecting her training. Vegeta, in a rage, nearly killed her with a high-powered Final Flash attack for her lack of attention. Another week of bed rest followed, giving her time to heal and to refocus her attentions on her training. Now her instructor loomed before her in a defensive stance she knew well. He wasn't just training her in martial combat and ki strikes, he was also teaching her tactical combat as well. "The ability to out-think an opponent is just as crucial as being able to match your opponent blow-for-blow", he told her. Then again, he was now the King of his race and bred for combat. None of this was new to her but she took it into account as she regarded his defenses.

  


He's left his lower guard down, she thought. She smiled, I know he expects me to strike there. Well let's see what he thinks about this! She blurred to super-speed and took to the air. Striking at a downward angle toward his face, she charged two ki bolts and sent them flying toward him. Undaunted by her speedy attack he jumped backward a few feet to dodge the ki bolts. They struck the ground where he stood and exploded, sending shards of dust and debris out in all directions. The moment his feet touch ground he knew he was in trouble. He was barely able to lower his arm to his rib cage in time to block her kick there. Turning about he hurled his other fist out and felt them graze the tips of her hair as she dodged under his attack. Vegeta raised his leg and intercepted her kick before it could strike its mark. The pair held there for a second, straining muscle against muscle until they disengaged and both leaped backward to regard each other again.

  


"Are my abilities 'sorely lacking' now?" she asked smiling.

  


"Humph," he said returning her smile. "You've grown quite strong under my wing. Your speed and agility are almost on par with mine, and your tactical knowledge is improving. But," he said as his smile turned darker," you'll have to do better than that!" If she blinked, she would've missed it. In a blinding flash of ki, Vegeta went beyond his current form and now stood across from her in his long-haired form, lightening struck out from his body and left dark imprints where it struck the ground.

  


"Oh boy," she said wide-eyed and tensed for the onslaught she knew was coming.

  


  
  


  


"Are you sure it's down here?" Yaumcha yelled from the bottom of the cavern.

  


"Yes," was Bulma's reply from high above.

  


"Well I don't see anything," he called back.

  


"Stop whining and look," she fumed. "The tracker says it's down there so hurry up and get it!"

  


"I still don't think this is such a good idea," he replied shakily, "being inside the maw of an active volcano isn't my idea of a good time!"

  


"Don't let the heat get to ya, kid!" Master Roshi called out. "It's the lava I'd worry about!"

  


"Thanks for the warning," he replied sarcastically.

  


Suddenly the volcano began to rumble and lurch. Yaumcha powered up using his ki to push back the heat. I'm going to have to do this quick, he thought...

  


  
  


  


The days went on the in the Room of Spirit and Time. Vegeta stepped up her training to a fever pitch. He stayed in his long haired super saiyan form constantly now using his enhanced strength and speed to his advantage. Videl couldn't keep up with the pressure but she didn't complain, she was actually starting to enjoy this! Lightening discharged when they came into contact with each other, and the ground showed plainly the amount of destructive forces they hurled at each other. Her back, arms and legs were bruised like hell and she hurt bad, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of giving up or backing down in the least. She moved constantly, trying to deflect and dodge his attacks that came from everywhere. She used her ki to soften the blows when they hit, which was often, but he kept at her with such fury she simply didn't have time to strike back. Eventually she was sent sprawling to the ground from a vicious kick. 

  


"You're learning to anticipate my moves," he said evenly.

  


"Ugh...," she groaned as she stood up shakily and assumed a defensive position, "you're still...too fast!"

  


"Then how do you expect to beat me?" he countered.

  


"I don't know," she shot back glaring at him angrily.

  


"Well, you'd better think of a way!" he said dangerously as he raised his ki even higher. His golden aura blazed around him and he charged her.

  


Without thinking, Videl blurred to super-speed and took to the air. She powered up as high as she could her own silvery aura blazed to life as she flew around in a zig-zag pattern, trying hard not to be a target. Suddenly, she slammed into a brick wall, but she knew too well that it was Vegeta. The force of his punch sent her reeling, but she got her arms up in time to stop his second rush. His strength and speed were to much for her and he backhanded her viciously, sending her crashing to the ground.

  


"That was pathetic!" he taunted. "It seems that all that time I spent training you here was a waste! I would have had better luck training alone. Obviously you will never be able to take on Gohan!" I'll have to be careful here, he thought. She is not a saiyan, but a human. If I push her too hard...

  


His thoughts were interrupted by a silver explosion that was Videl and she struck him head-on in his chest. Her fists were pulsating with the power of her ki and she used them to full effect while he was caught off-guard. She pressed on, her eyes glowing silver with rage. Her flurry of punches struck him from all angles and she made sure they hurt where they hit. Vegeta found himself on the defensive for once and was impressed by her furious barrage. She was actually able to hurt him! Contrary to his taunting, she was shaping up to be a great warrior. His musings became garbled as her fist connected squarely in his face. That's it, he thought. Using his arms and legs to block her attacks he floated down toward the ground. Videl followed, not letting up on her attacks. When his feet hit the ground he pushed upward and raised his ki at the same time. Videl had to shift her weight to meet her opponent and that put her on the defensive. Now she was the one who was blocking and dodging.

  


"Is that the best you can do?" he taunted smiling.

  


Videl didn't answer back, too focused on trying not to be hit. Vegeta blurred to super-speed, still wearing that damnable smile. She could barely follow where he was going but she blurred as well and gave chase. She's reached her limit, he thought. Now to push her beyond...

  


  
  


  


Yaumcha clutched the last dragonball in his arms as he flew toward the top of the exploding volcano. His ki was keeping most of the heat at bay but the air was already thick with sulfur and other toxic gases. Red-hot magma chunks spewed forth and he had a time dodging them. Lava rushed up behind him, threatening to consume him in an instant. He dared not look back lest he lose his nerve. The open maw of the volcano was so close, all he needed was another second and he'd be free! His lungs threatened to burst and he closed his eyes to concentrate. He felt the searing heat of the lava just behind him and then he felt a rush of cold air, he was out! Breathing deeply he replentished his depleted oxygen supply and opened his eyes to the welcoming morning sky. The rumble and explosion behind him completed the angry volcano's eruption, sending shards of hot rock and lava out in all directions. A safe distance away, Yaumcha took some time to catch his breath and relax. He looked down at the now torn and burnt clothes he wore. "That was too close," he breathed. "Oh, look at this! This suit cost me a fortune!"

  


  
  


  


Vegeta threw a ki ball at Videl, but she nimbly dodged it. She sent one of her own at him, but he caught it and crushed it in his hand causing it to explode. The smoke cleared and Videl regarded her instructor. His clothes were a bit singed, but he showed no other signs of damage. She on the other hand wore her scars and bruises proudly. Their time in the Room was quickly coming to an end. Over the last month Vegeta had gotten dirty. He taunted her and her techniques every chance he got. In training she couldn't do anything right and he berated her constantly. She never hated someone more than now. She wanted to kill him a hundred times over! 

  


"Are you going to hover there all day, you're boring me to death," he said, his face betrayed no emotions aside from his usual frown.

  


Damn him! He knows I don't stand a chance here. Arrogant bastard! She powered up as high as she could go letting the fire of her aura envelop her. She screamed as she flew at him with all her fury. He moved his head to the side to dodge her clumsy attack, not even needing to lift his arms up in defense. He brought his knee up to her mid-section forcing all the air out of her lungs. Slowly he brought his arm up and then backhanded her toward the ground. The ground exploded where she hit, leaving a large crater as testament to Vegeta's great strength. "This is pointless," he said, crossing his arms across his chest. "A newborn babe could dodge that attack! You're useless, you know that?"

  


"Bastard!" she muttered through clenched teeth. Blood flowed from her chin and nose, and her left eye was swollen shut. Her left arm tingled and hung limply at her side.

  


"You'll earn yourself a quick death at this pace," he said, "being absolutely no help to anyone."

  


She stood up and clenched her one good fist. Anger and rage threatened to overwhelm her. Involuntarily, her ki started to climb. Vegeta noticed. "What? Ready to go at it again? You can barely stand!"

  


"SHUT...UP!" she screamed as she charged at him.

  


  
  


  


It was nearly mid-day at Kami's Lookout. Piccolo, Pikkon, Olibu, and King Kai stood out on the balcony and waited. Yaumcha and the others found the last dragonball and were on their way. In a few hours Vegeta and Videl would be finished with their training and then the assault on the enemy's compound would commence. Master Korin was able to cultivate a few more senzu beans and Dende had healing potions prepared. King Kai and Piccolo went over their battle strategy earlier and they agreed that an all-out assault would be the way to go. The warriors King Kai brought from the Otherworld were powerful almost beyond belief, but Piccolo doubted if it was going to be enough. Maybe Vegeta and Videl would be the deciding factor in this, he thought. Leviathan wasn't a force to be easily underestimated, neither was Goku or Gohan. Plus Goku, Goten, and Trunks knew the technique of Fusion, and no one was especially happy about fighting Gotenks or possibly a Fusion between Goku and Gohan. He shuddered at that thought and put it out of his mind. Some thoughts were better left never thought at all!

  


  
  


  


Videl fought for her survival on an hourly basis now. She lost all concept of time, her sole focus being the evil monstrosity that was Vegeta, her tormentor. If not for her quick thinking she'd be dead now a thousand times over! He even refused to stay in the compound, saying it was beneath a true warrior to stay in the same place with someone so obviously inferior. He wouldn't leave her alone either! She tried training by herself, only to be attacked by him. Today's battle was no exception. She was already down to one knee and her ki was steadily dropping. She looked up and there her tormentor was in all his arrogance. He floated about thirty feet above her with his arms crossed over his chest. He had that same emotionless stare that angered and terrified her all the same.

  


This is it, Vegeta thought. It's now or never. "Get up," he commanded.

  


Slowly, she stood and assumed a defensive stance, but her ki kept dropping. "I've reached a decision," he said.

  


"Huh? What...decision?" she asked, wincing through the pain in her side.

  


"I've decided that this was the wrong idea from the start."

  


"What...what do you mean?"

  


"I was in error wasting my time here to train you. You wouldn't last a second against the likes of Goku or your precious Gohan. You have failed," he stated accusingly.

  


"What do you mean I failed?" she shot back. "How the hell do you expect me to go up against the likes of your kind? I'm only a human, damnit!"

  


"Is that supposed to matter?" he countered.

  


"Hell yes! There's no way I could ever reach the level of you guys!"

  


"Is that what you truly think?" he asked louder than last time.

  


"Yes," came her shaky reply.

  


He took a moment to consider it, then he spoke "Very well." He clenched his fists and began to raise his ki.

  


Videl shuddered involuntarily as she felt the violence in his ki. "What...what are you doing?"

  


His ki continued to rise, but it was sky rocketing higher than ever before! "You've proven to me that you are weak." He clenched his fists as his gold aura blazed around him. The ground started to shudder and break up from the vast amounts of ki he was expending. "You lack the convictions of a true warrior! Not even the thought of your precious Gohan in peril is enough for you to truly stand up and fight. No! You would rather lie down and die like the rest of the weaklings on Earth! That is why you are weak and that is why you have failed!"

  


"Now wait a minute!"

  


"No! The rest of us are willing to fight but you are not!" The amount of ki he was expending went beyond anything she had ever seen before, even Gohan's! The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she became very, very afraid. "Gohan would not think twice of the dangers if he knew you were in trouble. Is this how you repay him, by running away and doing nothing?"

  


"It's...it's not like that..." she said fearfully.

  


"IT IS! YOU started the bond with him, YOU professed your feelings about him to me when we first started. Was that all a lie?"

  


"No," she breathed quietly, tears began forming.

  


"Of course it was," he bellowed. His face was as angry as she had ever seen it and she backed up a few steps. "That is why it will be I who will kill him."

  


"What?" she asked wide-eyed.

  


"He may be a half-breed, but he has the blood of true warriors in his veins! If he knows what I do about you it would kill him inside, and I will not allow that to happen! I would never allow some weakling to dishonor one of our lineage."

  


"You don't understand," she cried, tears streaming down her face. Despair overwhelmed her. "I..."

  


"Enough! You are not up to the task so it falls to me. But don't worry," he said smiling suddenly. "You won't have to see me kill him...you'll be long dead before that."

  


Her shoulders slumped in total defeat and she cried.

  


"You may defend yourself if you wish," he said smugly as he cracked his knuckles, "It matters not to me."

  


A white hot anger started to burn within her chest. All the pain he put her through during their training was coming to the fore. He ki began to rise of it's own volition and her silver aura flared to life. That's it, he thought. Now release it, Videl! He clenched his hands into fists, "Ready to die, Videl? All of your problems will be over in a few moments."

  


"No," she whispered as her hair began to move by itself.

  


"DIE!" Vegeta, fully powered, charged the slumped form of Videl.

  


"No," she said more firmly as she began to shake from the anger and rage held within her.

  


Vegeta screamed as he charged toward her, a murderous look in his eyes. "No!" she yelled. There was a blinding flash of light in her mind as all the memories of Gohan flooded her. The time they spent at their little island retreat, the goofy way he'd smile at her. The way his skin felt against her, the hardness of the muscles on his arms and chest that she loved to trace with her fingers. The way he smelled coming out of the shower. The feelings she had when his powerful arms would gently wrap around her in an embrace. All of the memories and sensations of him attacked her at once. 

  


"NO!" she screamed as her ki spiked beyond her own limits. Her normal dull-silver aura suddenly changed to a pure shiny silver as her body was suffused with the power of her love for Gohan and the anger she felt toward Vegeta. He was going to stop her from saving Gohan! She couldn't let that happen! She closed her eyes, screamed, and leapt toward her attacker.

  


Vegeta closed his eyes with one thought on his mind as she shot toward him. This is going to suck! Her extended fist connected to his chest. The sound of the hit sounded like thunder and the shock wave ripped up a five mile radius of ground. Blood shot from Vegeta's mouth as he felt his rib-cage nearly cave in. The power radiating from Videl was staggering! Time seemed to slow to a halt as his eyes became blurry. He felt Videl's ki dropping at an alarming rate and she was already unconscious from the ki she had expended. His was dropping as well, but not as fast as hers. Gently he took her into his arms as they floated to the ground. He laid her to the ground and took out a small pouch that contained the last senzu bean from their initial battle with the others. He opened her mouth and made her eat it. Within seconds she was breathing normally. Then in a shock, she opened her eyes.

  


"V...Vegeta?"

  


"Congratulations," he said spitting blood and clutching his sides. It was getting harder for him to breathe, probably from that collapsed lung, he mused. "You...passed." Then everything went dark for Vegeta.

  


  
  


  


Vegeta awoke to a concerned looking Videl inside the compound. She smiled at him as she saw his eyes come into focus. "Vegeta! You're alive!"

  


"Of course," he said gruffly as he attempted to get up. He winced as his sides exploded in pain. He laid back down on the bed.

  


Videl put her arms across his bandaged chest. "Careful. You've been out for nearly a week. You're not fully healed yet. Luckily I was able to find one of Dende's healing potions in my stuff. If it wasn't for that I don't know if you would've made it."

  


"Humph," he said grumpily. "I would've healed on my own, thank you very much."

  


"Sure Vegeta," she said sounding relieved. Then she dropped her head down to the floor. "Vegeta," she began.

  


He looked up at her with his scowling face. "I know why you did what you had to do," she explained. "Thank you." She took his hand and squeezed it.

  


"It was the only way for you to reach your full potential," he said. "I had to become your enemy. I wasn't sure if your body would be able to handle that amount of energy, but you were."

  


"Thanks all the same."

  


"Don't mention it," he answered irritably.

  


  
  


  


The door to the Room of Spirit and Time opened, sending light from the Earth in. "Ready," Vegeta asked as he looked at her.

  


She nodded and stepped forth back onto the Earth. Nothings going to stop me from rescuing Gohan, she thought to herself. Love was a powerful motivator, and woe to any who got into her way!

  


  
  


  


Next Chapter: The assault begins! Videl and the others finally confront their enemies and she faces off against her love, Gohan. 

  
  
  
  



	11. The Beginning of the End!

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Chapter 11

The robed figure, Dalron, sat at his throne deep in thought as he poured over the information in his recon report. The splinter groups had retrieved the dragon balls and were already in their custody. The rest of the report detailed the strengths and weaknesses of the rest of the defenses of planet Earth. He paid it no mind, confident in the abilities of his battle robots and of his friend, Leviathan. What frustrated him though was the information on the rest of the warriors who had mounted the only real resistance to his will. The one called Goku was able to give him little information regarding the young woman, and every time he tried to pry the information from Gohan, the warrior became tight-lipped and revealed nothing. This was a cause for concern as they were still trying to resist the poisons that caused them to be the thralls of the robed figure. This had never happened before and even the Inquisitors were at a loss to explain themselves for their failure. Leviathan had already disposed of the two Inquisitors from New Namek and the rest went about searching for an answer to their supposed failsafe plan. The robed figure knew that it would be a matter of time before their wills eventually broke away from him, but he was confident that this planet would be his by then.

It wasn't like they could give them more doses of the poison even if they had any. The ingredients weren't found in this universe and the last was spent on gaining control of this world's most powerful warriors. The robed figure threw down the report in disgust. Why was he giving the resistance time to lick their wounds? He could have ordered Leviathan to deal with it and that would have been the end of the problem! Could it be that perhaps he felt a twinge of regret for these pitiful beings? There was no doubting the similarities to what was done to his planet and what he was doing now. Is it possible, he thought to himself, have I become what I have hated for so long? He shook his head to clear the doubts within himself and allowed a mental picture of Vegeta to form in his brain. His hatred returned in an instant. The lifeless form of Kaltara, his beloved, laid at his feet and the damn saiyan smiled.

It was all his fault! No, their entire race was bred for war and destruction. That is why they must be stopped at all costs. Thanks to Freeza the saiyan race had become nigh extinct, except for this planet and maybe a few others here and there throughout the galaxy. But it was his mission, no, his DUTY to make sure no other systems had to suffer the fate like his homeworld, Nista and so many others had.

It had taken him many years and the sacrifice of many lives to achieve the power that he now held. All of the systems that he had been to didn't understand his mission. They always tried to stop him. They never understood that he was trying to help them; as long as one saiyan was left alive the potential for destruction on a galactic scale was a factor that he couldn't afford to let go. With the help of his dimension-jumping friend, Leviathan, they were able to take out another reincarnation of Brolly on another backwater planet deep in the East Galaxy. The other problems with the saiyans were that once you think you got them beaten, they had a nasty tendency to come back when you least expect it, and they're always stronger than they were before!

Leviathan himself was a special case. His power was nearly equal to himself, but no where near as smart. Their initial encounter caused the deaths of many Nistan survivors. Leviathan wasn't at fault though. If Dalron himself were a bit more diplomatic the loss of life would have been much less. After besting Leviathan in single combat, the behemoth eventually aligned to his cause. Leviathan lived for challenges, and his special dimension-jumping ability served him well to that cause. He had traveled to many different alternate realities and many different dimensions to best the strongest of the strong. Dalron smiled as he remembered the encounter with Brolly. Leviathan was his cocky and arrogant self and it was his first time going up against a saiyan, and here was a super saiyan no less! Needless to say Brolly got the better of Leviathan in the first couple rounds of combat. That super saiyan could increase his powers beyond all rational limits and every time Leviathan powered himself up, Brolly did the same. Leviathan was able to hold his own against the sheer ferocity of the legendary super saiyan, but the battle was not going well. Eventually Dalron had to intercede and between him and Leviathan they were able to beat the monster. The battle wasn't one-sided though; both victors wore their bruises and scars for months afterward. After they defeated their foe, Leviathan pulled out a technique that caught Dalron by surprise. He absorbed the fallen body of the super saiyan! Leviathan's power increased astronomically, and declared his intention of leaving the employ of Dalron and his band of survivors. He challenged Dalron to single combat and Dalron accepted. He smiled to the hulking behemoth as they circled each other. Leviathan attacked with such speed that Dalron was almost caught unaware, but Dalron was ready, for you see, he was holding back the entire time…

After Leviathan was soundly defeated he acquiesced to Dalron's leadership and had been a loyal servant ever since. In the intervening time the two developed a fast friendship and Leviathan finally became a willing and true member to his cause. Besides, he heard that there were more of the saiyan around somewhere and that was a challenge that he couldn't pass up!

That's how the story went of Leviathan and Dalron. Every member of his crew had a story to go with them as well, and at the heart of each story, in one form or another, there was a unifying theme to them all: the damned saiyans.

Dalron shook his head to clear his thoughts. Every member of his crew had the same hatred as he did for the saiyan race. Every survivor of their pillages had cursed the day they heard of the name saiyan; every man, woman, and child would give their life to end the disease that was the saiyan race. Dalron took that notion to heart. What else could motivate nearly one million members of various races to work together like a well-oiled machine?

Here was the last bastion for that dying breed and here would be their final resting-place, a small but beautiful little world called Earth.

They will be attacking soon, he thought. We'd best prepare for the welcoming party…

Videl crossed the threshold back into the world, her year in the Room of Spirit and Time was over and her training under the harsh taskmaster, Vegeta, was complete. It took Videl a few moments to get accustomed to the harsh light of the noon sun, but she was able to make out the silhouettes of her friends waiting for her. She heard Piccolo arguing with a small man wearing sunglasses and had a long beard.

"I can't sense the others, I fear they have been taken."

"Chill out, Piccolo," the small man said in a gruff voice. "We know where they're being held so…"

"Yes, but they have the dragonballs now," Piccolo barked, interrupting him. "Mounting an attack now would be suicide!"

Videl's eyes grew accustomed to the light and she got a better look at the small man. He wore faded jeans, a T-shirt and a cut-up faded jean jacket. Their argument was getting more heated by the moment and Dende, Tien, 18 and several other warriors she didn't know joined in.

"What other choice do we have?"

Everyone in the argument turned to the new speaker and their eyes went wide! "Videl! Vegeta, you're back," Dende cried.

Piccolo looked hard at Videl, sizing up her new strength. He was astonished to see that her ki was nearly on par with his now, and ever since the Buu incident he wasn't lax in his own training anymore. It was incredible to think she got as far as she did and she definitely was a changed woman. Her eyes held that same steel-hard and cold stare of Vegeta's. Her hair was longer and her body was more toned than before, and there was…something else…her ki radiated strangely, but Piccolo couldn't figure out why.

"Of course we're back," Vegeta snapped, annoyed. He flexed his arms, "So are we ready to attack yet?"

"It's not that simple Vegeta," Piccolo said slowly. "Bulma and the others will more than likely be used as hostages if we do an all out assault. They could get injured or worse."

"Well we can't stand around here and do nothing," Videl piped in.

"Like I said," Vegeta said smirking, "what other choice do we have?"

"Who's the chick, Piccolo?" The Grand Kai asked softly as he blushed.

"That's Videl Satan," he answered, "and don't try anything around her, she's spoken for."

"That's Videl?" he asked incredulously. "Why her ki level is higher than I remember seeing it before! What gives?"

"We don't have time," he barked back hotly. "Are your warriors ready?"

"Yes we are Piccolo," Pikkon said, stepping forward. "The Grand Kai will coordinate our forces with yours. If anything, we should be able to buy you guys enough time to rescue your friends and get out."

"It's settled then," Vegeta remarked as he clenched his fists.

Piccolo shook his head; "I don't like it."

"None of us do," 18 said, "but we need our friends and the dragonballs back. If there's any way I can get my Krillin back…" She didn't need to finish.

"Okay," The Grand Kai said. "We'll leave in an hour. Hopefully someone can get inside their hideout and get the others and the dragonballs while we run interference."

"I have a felling this one's gonna turn ugly," Tien remarked. He noticed Piccolo stiffen and then walk off.

While everyone else made his or her final preparations for battle Videl got her hair cut short again. Her mind was swirling with mixed emotions. Her hands shook with anticipation at the up coming battle, and she was scared at the same time. Her year long training session with Vegeta gave her an inkling of what she had yet to face and that time was fast approaching. She knew not to underestimate the abilities of the others, but one stood out in particular…Gohan. Her mind kept repeating the picture of his deadly face as his fist flew toward her. If it weren't for that other green warrior she wouldn't be here now. Still she knew the game plan and she would be the one to confront Gohan. Perhaps she'd be able to contact him again, her efforts to do so since that one time in the training room were met with utter failure, but there was always that chance! 

Videl got cleaned up and changed into a new pair of loose-fitting clothing and sneakers since most of her normal clothes were ruined during her training. She wore simple blue jeans and a black Capsule Corp shirt. There was a purple half-jacket that sported the logo of the Corporation that she chose as well. Finally outfitted, Videl sighed heavily and left her quarters to meet up with the others out in the courtyard.

The others were standing at the ready. Vegeta changed into one of his endless black muscle T-shirts and dark jeans. His arms were folded across his chest and he was leaning against the entrance to the courtyard, waiting for the coming battle. "That jacket belongs to my son," he remarked as Videl entered the courtyard.

"Really?" she asked as she appraised the jacket. "It seems a bit big for him, don't you think?"

Vegeta closed his eyes and smiled. "No. It doesn't belong to Trunks, it belongs to my other son."

Videl's eyebrows raised in confusion. Other son? She didn't know he had another son! "Uh," she stammered, "who is your other son?"

His opened his eyes and leaned forward, "His name is Trunks," then he walked off into the courtyard. Videl's eyes twitched in irritation and confusion. She was about to ask him what he meant but the others called for her to join them. 

The Z Fighters and the other warriors stood in the middle of the courtyard accompanied by The Grand Kai and Dende. "Everyone ready?" The Grand Kai asked. The others nodded grimly. "Then let's get this party started! Now all you cats hold hands." The warriors did what Grand Kai ordered and in a flash, they were gone!

The warriors materialized in a dust storm of epic proportions! The sand swirled around the group and sliced through their clothing and eyes causing great discomfort. "Where the hell are we?" Vegeta bellowed to be heard above the roar of the storm.

"We're about a mile out from the location of the enemy," Piccolo yelled back. "We can use the storm to cover our tracks which means we may be able to take them by surprise!"

"Keep your power levels suppressed," Grand Kai ordered, "that should help as well!"

"Follow me!" Piccolo commanded as he started walking deeper into the storm. The others did what they could do to protect their eyes and they began the arduous trek to their final destination.

Aside from the minor annoyance of the storm, Videl was easily able to keep pace with the others. The only one who was having difficulty was Dende and Tien was helping the young Namek along. Videl was getting more anxious and apprehensive the closer they got. She could feel the tension of the others too, and everyone was feeling the same, well, except for Vegeta. His mind betrayed no emotions to her, but his sharp focus on the task at hand gave her the impression that he was actually looking forward to the fight! She couldn't blame him really. There was a small part deep inside her that was looking forward to it as well. She was morbidly curious to see how well she would fare against the others. The other motivation of course was Gohan. She knew the others could take care of themselves and she thought of herself as a crutch to the team for so long because she was weak. Now was her chance to prove to the others and herself what she was capable of. Vegeta taught her how to think coldly and calculating. Every trick he taught her would hopefully aid her against her love. If it came down to it, she would gladly give her life for his. Could she do anything less?

"How much longer?" 18 yelled.

"Not much farther," yelled back Piccolo. We should be getting close to the mountain!"

"Are you ready," Vegeta asked creeping up behind Videl causing her to jump.

"Stop that," she cried in anger.

"Your feelings tell me different," he said in a scolding tone. "You must remain focused if we are to win."

"I know," she replied irritably. "It's just…"

"What?"

"I don't know if I'll be able to reach him like I did before."

"If you can't are you prepared to do what you must do?"

Her head dropped and she stopped. Uncertainty and fear creeped into her mind. "I don't know if I can, Vegeta."

"You had better!" he said in his scolding tone. "Remember everything I taught you. Gohan won't be holding anything back and if you do you are as good as dead!"

She didn't say anything in response and he walked off toward the rest of the group. She hurried up to catch up with the rest of the group, her mood darker than before.

Damn him! Why the hell did he say that? Videl felt her anger rise at the damn Saiyan! Just when she was beginning to feel good about herself, he had to break her back down! When this is over, she thought, I'm gonna get you Vegeta!

The group traveled in silence for the most part. The dust storm showed no signs of abating and the pace was slow. Piccolo, Pikkon and Olibu were in the lead and their massive frames were enough to act as a shield for Dende who, truth to be told, slowed down the group even more. All of the warriors were outfitted was a plain brown sack that was to be used for whoever infiltrated the fortress. The sacks were large enough to fit all of the dragonballs in and carry a healing potion from Dende as well. The mood of the group remained tense and got steadily worse as they got closer to the mountain. Piccolo noted the sandy terrain give way to small rocks that got progressively larger.

"We are nearly there," he bellowed to the rest of the group.

Finally, the storm started to die down, awarding the warriors greater visibility. Piccolo could start making out the metallic entrance built into the side of the mountain that was their destination. 

"Fan out," Grand Kai commanded. 

The others obeyed, getting into position to strike the fortress from different angles. The group got close enough to notice the contingent of battle robots standing guard at the large entrance. The robots gave off a feeling of power, but wouldn't be a match for the warriors. The real foes were nowhere to be seen.

The group converged on the robots and made short work of them. The process took less than a second, then the dust storm died down abruptly.

"I don't like this," Piccolo said warily.

"This doesn't feel right," Tien remarked.

"That was too easy. Where are the real foes?" Vegeta asked disappointedly.

Then they all felt it. "Get back!" Piccolo shouted.

The others leapt back right as a large ki ball struck the general area where they were standing. The explosion caused another mini storm of dust and debris to fly out in all directions.

"It's so good that you finally decided to come!" bellowed the voice of Leviathan.

The smoke cleared and everyone was already in a defensive position. In the small crater where the ki ball struck stood Leviathan, fully powered and ready to go! "We were beginning to wonder if you guys were going to show up at all!"

"Where are the others?" demanded Vegeta. "Release them at once!"

Leviathan shook a warning finger at the Saiyan Prince. "Tsk tsk, my hot tempered friend. I haven't even introduced the rest of the welcoming committee yet."

Videl stiffened involuntarily as she felt the distinctive ki signature of Gohan and Goku. Then Goten, Trunks and Krillin's signature popped up out from no where. Leviathan pointed towards the entrance and several footfalls could be heard, and they were getting louder. "I think you know who I'm talking about," Leviathan said evilly.

Soon after the forms of Goku, Gohan, Trunks, Krillin and Goten stepped out from the shadows of the fortress entrance. Their faces bore the same faces of utter hatred just like last time. Then the Saiyans powered up. Goku went super saiyan as did Goten and Trunks, while Gohan used his mystic powers to get stronger. 

Videl stared wide-eyed at Gohan. He was looking directly at her with the same look of hatred as before and she froze on the spot. Their controlled friends stepped forward to stand beside Leviathan. "If you want your friends back so bad," Leviathan said grinning, "you'll have to go through us first!"

"So be it," Vegeta exclaimed as he screamed and went super saiyan. The rest of the Z Fighters powered up as well, except for Videl. Her eyes were locked on Gohan to the exclusion of everything else. 

Then they attacked…

Next Chapter: I think you know what happens next!

A/N: Sorry for the lateness of the post. I lost the next chapter when my computer decided to die. I had the next chapter done at the same time as this one and I was going to post them back to back. But it's back to the drawing board and I should have it up tomorrow. I hope you like the story so far. If you have any ideas, questions or comments send me a review or e-mail me at mezzicstorm2131@yahoo.com. Enjoy!


	12. Friend vs Friend Part I The Battle Beg...

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Chapter 12

The scene was utter chaos! The Z Fighters attacked their former friends from different angles in an effort to catch them off guard, but the tactic didn't work as expected. Goku, Leviathan and Krillin took to the air immediately, but Gohan stayed rooted on the ground, his eye never leaving Videl's. One of the warriors from the Spirit World attacked him from the side, thinking to gain surprise, but that wasn't the case. Gohan sidestepped the attack and sent his fist through the warrior's chest, causing him to explode into dust! Videl took an involuntary step back from the display of power. Still, his eyes never left her!

The Grand Kai, Piccolo, Pikkon and Olibu had their hands full with Leviathan. Kai was able to use his edge in speed and countless millennia of battle tactics to keep him from getting too roughed up while the other stronger warriors were going toe to toe with the behemoth.

Dende did his best to stay out of harms way and used his talents in healing when it was time for them. The rest of the time he spent in hiding.

Tien and another warrior from the Spirit World took on Goten and Trunks. The small super saiyans were deceptively powerful and quick. Tien and his ally were hard pressed against them.

Goku had already made short work of the warriors from the Spirit World who were on him, sending them back to the great beyond. Vegeta slowly rose in the air to confront him, his arms crossed across his chest. He regarded Goku and smiled. Goku stared back full of hatred and malice. "I've waited a long time for this," Vegeta said as he gathered more energy around him.

18 and Krillin squared off high above the mountain. He attacked with such ferocity that it caught her off guard and he scored a hard hit in her midsection and he followed through with an uppercut that sent her reeling. It didn't make sense; he was never this strong! She brought her arms up to her face to block his flurry of punches and kicks.

Dalron watched the battles from his command room. He expected them to mount a desperate defense and he wasn't disappointed. The point was moot however, as Leviathan would be able to handle these insects if the others fell. He sat back in his chair and watched the spectacle from multiple angles. He wished he had a bucket of what the Earthlings called "popcorn" handy. It looked like it was going to be quite a show!

Gohan took a step toward Videl and she took another step back. His gaze never faltered and he advanced on her slowly, gauging her reactions. Her mind was overwhelmed with panic and indecision, but a voice in the back of her mind told her to calm down. It sounded almost like Vegeta's. He advanced closer; his hands were clenched into fists, but other than that he showed no signs of raising a defense. He came closer still.

Piccolo flew across the desert, thanks to a savage kick from Leviathan. The ground did what it could to slow him down, but he bounced several times before he could regain his balance. He spent a second to gather some strength and blurred immediately to super speed. Leviathan had his hands full with Pikkon, who had a slight edge in speed, but not much else. Olibu wasn't as strong or as fast as Leviathan, but his hundreds of years of training were paying off in spades now. For all the sheer power and strength Leviathan had, he relied too much on brute strength and simple tactics. Both Pikkon and Olibu were able to counter most of Leviathan's strong attacks, but he showed no signs of letting up. Grand Kai was still harassing Leviathan with his tricks and speed, but could do little else. Suddenly Piccolo appeared out of nowhere and delivered a hard right to Leviathan's midsection causing the brute to recoil from the blow. Pikkon and Olibu attacked as one, sending a fury of attacks from all angles. Piccolo did what he could do to help them bring the monster down!

Tien and his otherworldly ally knew they would be in big trouble if Goten and Trunks fused. To that end they kept the saiyan kids apart and were keeping the pressure up as much as they could. The super saiyan kids were keeping Tien and his ally occupied enough so that they couldn't help out the others with Leviathan.

18 reeled from another blow from Krillin but she was quick enough to block his oncoming kick. She soared down to an outcropping on the mountain and landed, buying herself some time. She was forced to take to the air again as two Destructo-Discs cleaved through the outcropping, missing her by inches! She saw his arms raised above his head, forming another disc. Acting on instinct she charged him, bring her own formidable ki power to bear. She shot a continual volley of ki blasts directly into his face at point blank range. The air became supercharged from the energy being used as the air around Krillin exploded. 18 kept up the assault until her husband was totally obscured in smoke. She was already breathing heavily, and sweat poured from her brow. Krillin's form appeared as the smoke dissipated, his clothes were torn and smoldering, but the disc was fully formed above his head. He snarled as he brought his hand forward and released the Destructo-Disc.

Gohan was painfully aware of the events going on outside his mind and he was still powerless to stop himself! He tumbled through the darkness, but his mind's eye tormented him with a clear view of the events that were transpiring. If only he could somehow break out of this prison! But no matter what he tried, he failed. His emotions were the shackles that bound him deep inside his own mind, and saiyans had very powerful emotions. No matter how hard he tried to control them, his mind's eye show him what his body was doing, causing him to break his concentration and get angrier. Now he could see himself nearly on top of Videl. She looked afraid and there wasn't anything he could do to help her. He screamed as his rage boiled over his entire being!

For a split second Videl noticed a slight hesitation in Gohan's body. She felt it in his ki as well; it spiked for a millisecond and then became stable. She knew the familiarity of the ki; it was Gohan – the real Gohan! He was trying to reach her! "Snap out of it," she screamed. But the dull look in his eyes told her that he didn't hear her. Those same eyes suddenly became ablaze as he leapt forward, intending to send his fist right through her!

Dende dove out of the way as a ki ball struck where he hid a split second before! His healing abilities were being taxed to their limits as he weaved in and out of battle, re-energizing and healing the warriors who fought Leviathan. The monster didn't ignore poor Dende and came at him when he could, but the others mounted a staunch defense so he could get out of the way. But Dende was getting tired; he could keep this up forever.

Goku and Vegeta regarded each other. They floated high above the mountain and circled each other, each not letting their eyes off the other. Goku flexed and screamed. His hair turned bright golden and shockwaves of ki radiated out as he went super saiyan. He continued to scream as blue lightning danced over his body. His mass increased as his body began to glow bright gold. The wind picked up as Goku's waves of ki assaulted Vegeta. He didn't move. Goku's scream rose in pitch as his hair began to elongate and the blue lightning turned the same golden color as the rest of him. His eyes spewed forth gold light until his whole body pulsed with blinding light as he completed his transformation. Goku's screams died down as he assumed the third form of super saiyan and he silently regarded Vegeta for a reaction.

Vegeta smiled. Inwardly, he was impressed at Goku's strength. He was stronger than before, and the look in his eyes could chill anyone to the bone! But he was stronger too. Vegeta clenched his hands into fists and roared, raising his ki as high as it could go. In moments, his transformation to third level was complete. Golden lightning danced off of their bodies and intertwined around the other as their opposing ki began a fight for dominance. Vegeta smiled back at Goku, who inexplicably, was smiling as well! Caught up in the intoxicating rush of battle, the two super saiyans screamed and charged at each other.

Leviathan head-butted Olibu, causing him to crash into the side of the mountain. He caught Pikkon's fist and thrusted down at the ground, causing the otherworlder to eat dust. He dodged Piccolo's Ki blast attack, but found that annoying bearded old guy staring at him right in the face. He was fast for an old man, and his fist connected with Leviathan's chin. Olibu burst out from the mountainside and tackled Leviathan from behind, causing him to lose his balance. Pikkon flipped himself forward and shot under Leviathans legs and brought his own legs up and around Leviathan's large neck. He twisted sideways, causing Leviathan to fall.

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" Piccolo's signature attack struck the fallen Leviathan and the explosion sent out massive earthquakes out in all directions! 

"THUNDER…FLASH…ATTACK!" A stream of fire shot from Pikkon's fists and hit Leviathan. The sand around the behemoth turned to glass from the intense heat. Leviathan got up but Olibu was in his face throwing punch after punch, keeping him off-balance.

"We got him!" Grand Kai whooped. "Keep it up!"

Goten blasted Tien full in the face. He wasn't able to bring his arms up in time to deflect the blast and the resulting explosion sent the three-eyed warrior crashing into his ally. The young super saiyans capitalized on this and began to do their fusion dance. Tien and the otherworlder got up and saw the predicament they were in. As one they charged the little super saiyans to stop them from fusing.

But they were too late. In a blinding flash Gotenks was born. He (they) were already in super saiyan form and he stood there waiting for the others to do something. "This isn't good," Tien remarked to his ally.

"Any suggestions?"

Tien raised his ki as high as it could go as an answer. His ally did the same and the two warriors flew head-on at Gotenks.

Videl leapt out of Gohan's way, narrowly avoid his crushing fist. Gohan smashed through the rock and blurred to super speed. Videl began powering up and stretched out her senses trying to locate Gohan. Her eyes widened and she blurred to super speed and leapt into the air. A split second later Gohan materialized where she stood and his leg extended into a kick that would have cleaved her in two. Videl was trying to get as much distance from his as she could as she continued to raise her ki. Her bright silver aura enveloped her as she rose her ki to its limits. She came out of super speed and recoiled from Gohan's fist. He was so fast! She was on the defensive as Gohan came at her with punches and kicks. 

The sound of an explosion echoed throughout the desert as Gohan's fist connected to Videl's midsection. He followed through by bring his elbow down on the small of her neck, causing her to come crashing to the ground. He blurred and was on the ground before she was. He kicked upwards but she grabbed his outstretched leg, flipped over him, and landed in a defensive position. Her right arm clutched her throbbing ribs and breathing came in painful rasps. The air around Gohan pulsed outward as he raised his ki higher. Her ki throbbed and pulsed and electricity discharged around her as she waited for his next attack. She didn't have long to wait as he charged her. She ducked and dove forward easily dodging his strike. She landed behind him and flipped backward intending to kick him in the face. Gohan caught her foot before it could connect, but she shifted her balance and sent her other foot out which connected cleanly across his cheek. The blow caused him to let go of her other foot and she flipped back down to the ground. Gohan staggered back a step and a dark bruise was visible where she hit him. 

Gohan's ki raised even higher and energy formed on his hands. He threw his arms out and bright lights of destructive force streamed toward Videl. She tensed and crossed her arms across her face. The force of the explosion pushed her back, but she was able to deflect the brunt of the attacks. She didn't have time to think as he came at her again. This time he struck from above, sending volleys of energy blasts at her. She took to the air, flying straight at him. She batted away the energy blasts and formed her own silver ki blasts in her hands. When she reached him she sent her own energy attack at him at point blank range. The blasts hit him full in the face, causing him to fall towards the ground, but he caught himself and landed lightly on the sand.

Videl charged her ki and flew down at Gohan. He blurred and met her in the air. She didn't have time to react. His knee connected to her damaged ribs, forcing the air out of her lungs. His fists were blurs as he struck her again and again.

18 bent backward causing Krillin's Destructo-Disc to narrowly avoid her. She brought her legs up and kicked her husband as he came at her. She completed the mid-air flip and brought her hands together and shot them out at Krillin. A violet beam of energy streamed out but he had regained his composure and batted the attack away. 18 was already on him, not giving him any time to think. Finally she got him, sending him crashing into the mountain. 

Dalron watched the monitors appreciatively. The blond woman had just soundly defeated the small one and was flying to aid the warriors against the fused saiyan children. His viewing was interrupted by one of his underlings. "Excuse me, my Lord."

"Yes? What is it?" he asked distractedly.

The underling handed him a white paper bag with red stripes on it. The bag was warm to the touch. "What is this?"

"It is what these earthlings call popcorn, my Lord. It's butter flavored," he said with a deep bow.

Dalron's eyebrow raised in astonishment. "Thank you. Carry on." The underling bowed again and went back to his duties.

Dalron ripped open the bag, took out a piece of popcorn and studied it intently. Then he popped it into his mouth and ate it. It was surprisingly good! He reminded himself to give that underling a promotion for his ingenuity. He moved his chair closer to the monitors and relaxed with his popcorn.

Vegeta and Goku blurred in and out of super speed, their clothes catching fire here and there due to their great speeds. Their movements were so swift that the sound that carried from each blow that hit was audible a second or two later. The super saiyans disengaged from each other and regarded the other. Then they attacked each other as one. Vegeta raised his knee to block Goku's kick. Goku had his arm up to block Vegeta's forearm. They zipped and blurred all over the sky, the concussive shockwaves were the only indication that something was going on up there. Goku landed a successful punch across Vegeta's face, but any thoughts of a follow-through were negated as Vegeta's kick sent Goku hurling through the air. The saiyans regained their composure and charged one another. Both combatants landed fists on the other, causing them both to spiral to the ground. They landed at the same time and both powered up their ki and charged again. Craters formed in the ground where they flew over and they met each other head on. Goku was still slightly faster than Vegeta, but Vegeta had a slight edge in raw power. Both combatants' forearms connected and the ground exploded as the shockwave and rays of ki pulsed out in all directions. 

Vegeta jumped back and brought his hands up in front of him. His Final Flash attack shot true at Goku. Goku brought his hands behind him and then thrust out sending his Kamehameha wave at the oncoming attack. The blasts connected, each straining to gain ground against the other. The ground was being ripped up from the energy waves and the area shook as if it was breaking apart! Vegeta poured forth more power, grunting in effort. Goku's Kamehameha wave started to lose ground, but Goku gave it more energy. The strain from the ki expenditure caused the warriors to sweat profusely but they didn't stop. Slowly, Vegeta began walking forward. Goku walked forward as well as the energy waves grew larger and brighter as more energy was given to them. Step by agonizing step the two warriors approached each other. Both Vegeta and Goku were screaming against the strain, but they refused to back down. By the time they were next to each other, Vegeta was suffused with his Final Flash energy and Goku with his Kamehameha energy. The saiyans grasped each other's hands in a deadly test of strength as their energies surrounded each other. The surrounding ground was no more, as the warriors hovered over an ever-expanding crater, still locked in their death grip!

Tien watched in horror as his otherworldly ally vanished from sight from Gotenks energy blast. The warrior's screams echoed in his mind, as he pondered what to do next. Gotenks slowly lowered his arm and turned to face Tien. Tien considered his options, and didn't like any of them. He raised his ki and screamed. His mass almost doubled and his bright aura flashed. Throwing caution to the wind, he attacked. Gotenks brought his arm up again and a ball of energy formed in his outstretched palm. Tien put all of his energy in front of him, forming a barrier that he hoped would dissipate most of the attack. Gotenks released the energy and it came straight at Tien. He closed his eyes as he waiting for the strike to hit. The ray hit him full on, but Tien was lucky in that his aura dispersed the energy enough so that it didn't vaporize him on the spot! Tien was severely weakened though, and he landed at the feet of Gotenks in a heap. He struggled to look up at Gotenks who smiled back at him evilly. Suddenly a ki blast hit Gotenks from behind. He turned to see 18 floating above him with her arms outstretched and breathing hard.

Tien took the opportunity to leg-sweep Gotenks and power up again. The battle had been joined!

Piccolo spit the blood from his mouth as he stood. They were throwing everything they had at him, but he wouldn't stay down! It reminded him of the battle they had against Brolly, and that wasn't much fun either. The wily Grand Kai bobbed and weaved through Leviathan's attacks and landed a good hit in here and there. Piccolo scanned the area and assessed their situation. Pikkon was getting up slower than he was and Olibu was out cold. Dende was over him using his powers to heal him of his injuries. Piccolo felt his regeneration factor kick in to high gear and he was about to leap out and join the fray, but he caught The Grand Kai in his arms. "Are you all right?" he asked gravely.

The trademark glasses that The Grand Kai wore were broke and his eyes were swirling. The Grand Kai didn't answer back. Sighing Piccolo gently lowered The Grand Kai to the ground and looked up at Leviathan. The monster wore a huge smile and hand his hand outstretched to Piccolo and his gestured to Piccolo to come at him. The baka's energy hasn't dropped at all, he thought to himself as he raised his ki and attacked.

Piccolo blurred and attacked Leviathan from behind, but the creature had anticipated the attack and raised his knee in defense. Leviathan grabbed Piccolo's head and flung him across the desert plain. Piccolo blurred again as he righted himself and attacked from the side. Leviathan was quick for his size and blocked Piccolo's ki-charged punch, but Pikkon appeared out of nowhere and tackled him on from the opposite side. Leviathan shifted his weight forward to compensate and grabbed Piccolo's head again and brought him close to his face. Before Leviathan could say anything, Piccolo opened his mouth and a beam of energy struck him full in the face. Leviathan was forced to let go of the Namek and was temporarily blinded. Piccolo dropped to the ground and leg-sweeped the monster's legs out from under him. Pikkon used his strength to shift himself upwards and leaped high in the air. He did a quick version of the Thunder Flash Attack, which consumed the monster and nearly Piccolo who dove out of the way.

Videl smashed to the ground hard! She was acting on pure instinct now and leaped backward, just avoiding Gohan's crushing feet. Her ki was dropping slightly and his kept rising. He leaped out of the huge hole and threw a ki ball at her. She flipped over it and landed in a defensive position, the ki ball exploded behind her sending shards of rock and earth to rain down on the combatants. Without thinking she blurred to super speed and flipped away from him. She kept moving making her a harder target to hit and he blurred after her. Her arm blocked his kick, but sent her sprawling to the ground from the sheer strength of the attack. She came out of super speed and jutted her knee upward that connected with Gohan's chin, sending him flying backwards. Breathing in quick, painful bursts, she launched herself at him charging her fists with ki. She was on him as he regained his balance but he was on the defensive now. Her silver aura flared around her like fire; the fury of her fists sending miniature shockwaves of air out in all directions. She broke through his defenses and landed a straight punch to his gut and followed through with a vicious uppercut! Gohan went flying again but flipped in mid-air and landed on his feet. He slowly wiped a small trickle of blood away from his mouth.

Even though she could feel her ki drop, she began to feel a white-hot rage starting to build inside of her. She was starting to lose the connection to herself as her ki suddenly spiked. Her silver aura flared and pulsed; her ki rose of it's own volition. The ground around her began breaking up as her body began twitching and shaking as her ki began taking over her body.

Gohan felt Videl's ki spike and he saw her aura through his mind's eye. He struggled to control the anger that had overwhelmed him. He could feel her through their unique bond that they shared, and her ki was rising to a level that he never thought she could reach. The danger to her was very real however as the amount of ki she expended would eventually be too much for her body to handle and it would kill her! Gohan frantically struggled at the metaphysical bonds that held him, screaming her name. Suddenly he felt the flash of her ki as his mind's eye saw her blast his body. The powerful ray did not injure his body, but it did somehow connect with his mind. Her silver aura pierced through the darkness that was his mind. The ray of pure silver struck him and the bonds that held him at bay.

Come on, Videl thought as her grip on herself was lessening. I can feel you fighting! Help me my love!

Her ray continually hit Gohan, but he started walking toward her, his eyes full of murder…

The battle continues next chapter!

A/N: I had to split this up because the chapter was getting too big. The original chapter was about the size of this chapter but I decided to add more to it. The next chapter will be up before this Sunday. I hope you enjoy it! 


	13. Friend vs Friend Part II Goku vs Veget...

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Friend vs. Friend Part II

Vegeta and Goku were locked in mortal combat. The energies of the Kamehameha Wave and the Final Flash mirrored the intensity and anger of the two super saiyans. Their screams of pain and determination were drowned out by the pulsing noise of their combined energies. Their hands were locked so tightly that blood dripped from them. The combatants raised their ki higher until finally their combined energies couldn't contain it anymore and exploded with such force that the super saiyans were flung in opposite directions like rag dolls.

Sweat and blood mixed together as it poured down Vegeta's face. He was breathing hard and stood up slowly. His hands ached and throbbed and he clenched them into fists. The pain was excruciating and helped him to focus. Given this brief interlude he stretched out with his ki to take stock in what was going on around him. The only warriors from the otherworld that he could sense was The Grand Kai, Pikkon and Olibu. He felt the others too as their battles waged on. Leviathan's ki had dropped slightly but his vast reserves were still untapped. Goten and Trunks had fused and were causing great trouble for Tien and 18. Dende's signature was weak but holding and he stretched his ki out more. Gohan's turbulent ki registered to him and he took a step back in shock as he felt Videl's power. Her ki was dropping the first moment, then spiking upward the next. She had gone far beyond her boundaries again but she was in dangerous territory. The human body was never meant to handle the amounts of ki she was expending. If she didn't drop her ki soon it would kill her. 

Any further musings were interrupted as Goku blurred in front of Vegeta and thrusted his forearm out at his head. Vegeta blocked the attack with his own forearm and attempted a forward kick. Goku flipped backward easily dodging the attack and landed on his feet in a defensive position. Vegeta powered up and flung himself at Goku. The super saiyans blurred into super speed and fought to get an edge over the other.

The power levels from both combatants dropped slowly. The battle was beginning to take a toll on the warriors but they didn't seem to mind. Goku charged up a ki ball in each hand and ducked under Vegeta's swing. He punched upward hitting Vegeta in the gut. The air in Vegeta's lungs expelled itself forcefully from the impact and the explosions from Goku's attack. His chest burned and smoldered but he got his knee up in time to stop the next attack. Vegeta brought his fists up above his head and brought them down hard on Goku. His impact created a large crater that gave Vegeta some time to catch his breath.

Vegeta floated down to the center of the crater where Goku lay. He was slow in getting up but didn't look much worse off. Goku levitated up to float across from Vegeta and the stare-down began anew.

"Round two," he snarled at Vegeta.

Tien and 18 threw everything they had at Gotenks, but the small super saiyan(s) matched them move for move and technique for technique. The warriors jumped and dodged as Gotenks sent a flurry of ki blasts at them. Tien flipped over the volley and brought his hands up to his face and formed a triangle. He closed his eyes and screamed. Gotenks thundered into the ground as Tien's gravity technique slammed him. He did it again and again. Gotenks was being flattened in an ever-expanding crater. 18 followed through raining beams of energy down on Gotenks. The crushing attacks combined with the heavy assault of energy attacks was too much for Gotenks to bear and was finally rendered unconscious.

Tien slumped to his knees, totally exhausted. Every nerve of his ached but he didn't have the luxury of time on his side. Tien looked over at Piccolo and the others still engaged with Leviathan. He turned to 18, "Now's our chance! Go 18, find our friends and the dragonballs. I'll help Piccolo and the others!"

For a moment she looked like she was going to argue with him, but then thought better of it. She nodded and flew off towards the exposed entrance of the fortress leaving Tien to speed off at Leviathan.

Olibu was up now thanks to Dende's healing powers and was in the thick of things. The group was indeed better trained than the monstrous creature, but his strength and energy made up for a lack of tactical knowledge. Truth be told, Leviathan was wearing them out. Olibu could feel the ki of the others dropping slowly, but steadily. Leviathan's energy had dropped some, but his vast reserves told the story plainly enough; there would only be one victor in this fight.

Piccolo and Pikkon combined their ki blasts together, which drilled into Leviathan. The blast struck him in the left arm and the ray continued through him! Leviathan staggered and howled in pain and rage as the first true strike did its damage. The Grand Kai whooped, "We hurt him! Pour it on!"

Olibu came in from above slamming into Leviathan's injured arm with his feet. The creature howled again in blind rage that these insignificant creatures hurt him! With his good arm he swiped at Olibu, but he flipped over the attack and sent a ki blast into Leviathan's arm. The explosion knocked him off balance and he crashed in a heap. Black ichor oozed from the gaping wound in Leviathan's arm and hissed when it hit the ground. Leviathan got up slowly and growled. He heard a scream from behind him and was slammed forward at great speed by a wave of invisible energy. Leviathan went flying straight toward Grand Kai. The Grand Kai held his position, hovering in the air and muttering beneath his breath. A green ball of energy formed in front of him as he completed his incantation and he gestured to the form of Leviathan who was coming at him. The green ball of energy doubled in size and flew straight at the creature. Leviathan collided with the large energy ball and everything went blindingly white as the ball exploded. Leviathan's cries of pain were drowned out by the sound of the explosion.

"Thanks for the help, dude!" The Grand Kai remarked as he gave Tien a thumbs up.

"It's not over yet," he yelled back in a defensive position.

"You bet it's not!" Leviathan growled. In a surprising display of speed he shot toward the others, his eyes full of rage and death.

"Did you see that my Lord?" one of Dalron's underlings asked.

Dalron nodded as he continued to stuff his face with popcorn. There was a growing number of empty popcorn bags around his chair and he sent several members of his crew to get more. This stuff is addictive, he though. He watched the attack on Leviathan and nearly dropped his popcorn bag in shock! They were actually able to hurt him! That was an eventuality that he hadn't prepared for, let alone even guessed at. A part of him wanted to go out there now and finish the charade, but Leviathan's pride would have been hurt. And an angry Leviathan wasn't something he relished to confront at this moment. Even their friendship could only go so far.

"My Lord! One of the group is breaking away from the main fighting force and has entered the fortress! Shall I dispatch the robots?"

Dalron nodded as he watched the viewscreen zoom in on the blond female as she flew into the fortress proper. The robots would slow her down, he thought, but not stop her. He stood up from his chair.

"I'lmm hanble her myfellf," he said, his mouth full of popcorn.

His crew stared at him questioningly. He looked at them for a second then raised a finger as he chewed and swallowed the last of the popcorn. "Ahh," he sighed contentedly, "I said I'll handle her myself."

The others nodded in understanding and went back to work. He could have ordered any one of them to get the job done, but he felt that he needed the exercise. It would be a good starting point to the final ending of this little game, he thought to himself as the doors hissed shut behind him.

Goku and Vegeta blurred in and out of super speed as they attacked each other. Blue lightning danced across the sky when they came into contact with each other. Vegeta blocked Goku's fist but Goku was too close to Vegeta for him to block the next attack. Goku head-butted Vegeta and followed through with a spinning roundhouse kick as he was reeling backward. Vegeta sailed to the ground and skidded through the rough terrain (or what was left of it) until he finally stopped. His nose bled profusely and the bridge of it was bent awkwardly. Cursing he flipped to his feet and wiped the blood from his face. He looked around but didn't see or sense Goku anywhere. His head was ringing from the head-butt but he focused his senses to find him. He's hidden himself, Vegeta thought. "Where are you coward!" Vegeta screamed.

Nothing. Not a trace. Goku's signature had vanished completely. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he rolled forward letting his instincts take over. He heard the faint sound of clothing rustling in the air and he turned to face the sound but there was no one there. Suddenly Vegeta's back exploded in fire! He fell forward and rolled to put the flames out. By the time he got up Goku had disappeared again. Vegeta jumped, avoiding Goku's leg-sweep and brought his fists down hard on Goku's head, but he blurred away before he could connect. Vegeta blurred also, using his ki to track Goku. Vegeta realized that Goku was using his Instant Transmission technique and he was masking his ki so he would appear to be invisible. For the briefest millisecond he thought he saw movement and he punched out in that direction. His fist thundered into Goku, knocking him out of super speed. Vegeta used his enhanced speed to fly behind Goku who was still hurling through the air and blasted him with his Final Flash attack. Goku was knocked forward by the blast and Vegeta appeared in front of him punching and kicking. Goku was disoriented and wasn't able to put up much of a defense and he came crashing to the ground from Vegeta's vicious backhand attack. Vegeta come out of super speed and hovered over Goku's struggling body. His left eye was swollen shut and his face bore some nasty bruises.

"Stand down," Vegeta commanded. "Your ki is dropping faster than mine. End this now so I won't have to destroy you."

Goku started to laugh, but it was an evil laugh. "It's…not over…yet!" he coughed.

That's when Vegeta felt it. His eyes widened in shock and he turned around. High in the sky above him was the huge ball of destructive energy that was slowly descending on Vegeta. It was Goku's Spirit Bomb! But that was impossible, he couldn't bring it into being while he was in super saiyan form! Goku had used his ki to mask the Spirit Bomb as well, Vegeta reasoned. Apparently he had underestimated Goku again, thinking him weaker than he actually was. The ball was coming at him slowly and Goku's laughter stopped.

"Goodbye Vegeta," he said evilly. 

Vegeta was about to turn and face Goku, but his Kamehameha Wave attack hit him almost point blank from behind. The air was knocked out of him, but there was another problem for him to worry about. The Kamehameha Wave was sending Vegeta directly into the Spirit Bomb! Vegeta struggled to push back the wave, but there was too much energy behind the attack and he didn't have time to gather enough energy to dissipate the attack. The Spirit Bomb was getting larger in front of him and he could still hear the echoes of Goku's evil laughter on the wind….

Next Chapter: A chapter totally devoted to Gohan and Videl. Will she be able to free him in time? Find out next chapter!

A/N: It's not a big chapter but I hope you like the cliffie here. Personally I hate cliffies, but I had to take a page out of Gohan's Onna's book and be evil (plug: read her DBZ stories! What you Wouldn't Think and What you Wouldn't Want are great stories, check 'em out! You can find a link to her under my Favorite Authors – Gohan's Onna – Highly Recommended! *winks and give a thumbs up*). The next chapter will be ALL Gohan and Videl as I delve into his mind with Videl to see if she can rescue him. Keep in mind that his body is still under control of Dalron, so anything could happen. I'll be gone over New Year's so Happy New Year and stuff! The next chapter should be up in 2 weeks or less. Keep writing and reading! 


	14. Memories: Part I The Past

****

Memories: Part I - The Past leads to…

Gohan floated in darkness. The unseen chaos that bound him suddenly disappeared and he felt the sensation of falling. He spiraled deeper into the dark depths of his mind. Time had no meaning for him here, and he fell for what seemed to be a lifetime. His mind's eye was closed, shutting him off from seeing what was happening on the outside. The last thing he saw and felt before it became dark was Videl's ki spiking higher than any normal human to go and seeing her hit his body with a strange ray. The ray didn't do any physical damage to him, but whatever shackles that held him were now gone. Another effect was that he was cut off from feeling his physical body, making him totally detached from himself. He was truly lost now. For what seemed like an eternity Gohan fell through the darkness until he felt his feet lightly touch solid ground. A soft white light illuminated a rocky path before him.

Unable to tap into his powers, he began walking down the path. The sound of his footsteps echoed throughout the darkness. He tried stretching out his senses, but that didn't work either. The closer he got toward the end of the path the light illuminated more. The path seemed to stretch out infinitely.

"Hello!" he yelled. "Is anyone there?"

Silence. Getting frustrated, he started running down the path. After long moments of running he stopped. His ears picked up a faint sound that came from his left. Coming about, he crouched down in a defensive position. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

The darkness now in front of him lit up, revealing a thick, swirling mist. The mist slowly dissipated and familiar voices could be heard from it. It sounded like laughter…it sounded like…

"Dad!"

The last of the mist disappeared revealing a younger Goku throwing a very young Gohan up in the air and catching him when he came down. They were both laughing. What's going on here, Gohan thought. As he watched, he heard his mom's voice.

"Goku, Gohan, dinner's ready!"

"Okay Chi-Chi," Goku called back. "We'll be there in a few minutes!"

I remember this, he thought as he watched. Goku threw up the young Gohan one last time and caught him in his arms that turned into a hug. "Are you hungry?" Goku asked. The young Gohan nodded, smiling. "Do you wanna go on a trip after dinner?"

"A…trip?" he asked.

Goku nodded, his smile getting bigger. "I want you to meet my friends."

"F…friends?"

"Uh-huh. Krillin and Master Roshi…"

Gohan was lost in thought and didn't hear the rest of the conversation. I remember! I can't believe I almost forgot! Dad and I were playing outside right before he took me to meet Master Roshi and Krillin for the first time. He remembered how scared he was when he first met them too. Bulma was there too, he remembered. Things got off to a rocky start, but he overcame his fears and things started going well. Then everything changed. That when Radditz arrived. 

Why am I seeing this? What does it all mean? The scene faded back into the darkness, leaving Gohan with more questions. He turned back to the path and started walking down it again, struggling to decipher the meaning of what was going on. A few moments later more whispers beckoned him from his past.

Turning to face the voices the same thing happened, but the memory was different. It was an earlier time, a time when Gohan had just learned to walk. He was inside his bedroom at night. The rain came down hard outside and a bright flash of light illuminated his room for a brief second. The following crash of thunder nearly shook everything in his room! Gohan watched as he saw himself hiding under the blankets. When another thunder-crack boomed, he saw his younger self leap out from the bed and run out of his room.

Seeing the memory caused Gohan to smile in remembrance. It was his first thunder storm and the thunder and lightning had nearly scared the wits out of him! The scene changed to his parents' bedroom where he saw his younger self tugging on his dad's arm, trying in vain to wake him up. Failing that, he ran over to the other side of the bed and tugged on his mom's arm until she woke up. He saw the tears well up in his younger version's eyes as he told the story to his mom. The older Gohan closed his eyes as the memory filled him. He didn't need to see mom's understanding smile, nor did he need to see her pick him up and hold him close to her. He remembered feeling so safe in her arms. Then dad woke up and mom told him the story. He remembered his dad's laughter and told him that he did the same thing to his grandfather when he was young. Gohan could almost feel the warm embrace of his parents as they cradled his younger self in their arms. Soon he was at peace and asleep, content with the protection and love of his mom and dad. The memory finished, it faded into the darkness.

The memory filled his thoughts, and it was a long time before Gohan moved again. Still, he was filled with the same nagging questions as before, and wasn't anywhere closer as to how or why he was seeing these memories.

The next memory appeared much later down the path. This one he knew well. The memory was of the final moments during his battle with Cell. His Kamehameha Wave engulfed Cell, utterly destroying him. There was no repression here, but the memory burned in cold detail. He remembered the sorrow at the loss of his father and nearly his friends. It gave him some grim satisfaction to see the memory again as Cell slowly disintegrated in the Kamehameha Wave. Then the memory disappeared.

It took Gohan almost three years to come to grips with the guilt he felt over his father's death. Mom didn't fare much better, he thought as he remembered those dark years. But she had her father to console her; I didn't really have anyone. The only good thing that came about then was the birth of Goten. He made those years easier with his exuberance and youth. And Goku did return after a time. Seven years was a long time to wait, but he did come back. He never left since. 

A lot happened to me before that Buu fiasco, he thought as he walked. Before dad came back I met…

The memory appeared as if on queue.

A slightly older Gohan stood across from his opponent. The large blue creature had called himself Bojack and his underlings were hell-bent on killing his friends. Gohan had taken care of the underlings easily as he had ascended to the second level of super saiyan. The untapped power that he held back inside him was released again as Bojack flew at him. Gohan leapt at his attacker, but the outcome was already decided. The two warriors struck each other, and the smallest fraction of a second later Bojack disintegrated.

Gohan knew this memory well. Before he was push over the edge to go second level he felt the presence of his dead father for the faintest of seconds. At the time, Bojack held the upper hand and all seemed lost. Bojack came at him with the killing strike but out of nowhere shot a Kamehameha Wave that knocked him back. He heard his father's words of encouragement and that's was sealed the fate of Bojack and his crew. Gohan smiled wistfully and knew that even though his father was gone, he still looked over him from the beyond.

At was after that time that he had finally come to grips with his guilt. Things started getting better then. Gohan watched in fond remembrance as the image faded. His adventures changed after that. Instead of saving the universe almost every other week, his new challenges took the form of heavy books and long tests. For the next five years or so his mom drilled into him the need for a good education. Goku never had a job while he was alive and money was always sparse, when they had any at least. So he tackled his books with the same mindset as if he was squaring off against Freezer or Cell. His hard work and dedication paid off and he was finally accepted into high school.

Those nights were very long, he mused as he walked down the path. Mom was always there to encourage me when I needed it. Then he smiled and rubbed his head as he remembered mom's frying pan of doom! When encouraging didn't work, she always had that to fall back on!

He chuckled to himself as he thought about it. It wasn't like it hurt or anything, but she was as hard on him as she could. It worked out for the better anyway; she had to stop because she ruined too many frying pans that way and they couldn't afford to buy more!

His followed his train of thought further up the timeline of his life that caused him to stop on the path. His eyes hardened and his expression turned grim as the sudden realization hit him. The reason why he was here in the first place and not bound anymore…

"Videl." The image appeared as soon as he finished speaking her name.

She was so beautiful! Her long, dark hair whisped around her as she pummeled and kicked the bank robbers. There wasn't any need for him to step in; she took care of them in no time. He had just taken care of other matters then, but he was in super saiyan form. She noticed him, but nothing happened that he cared to remember. He was shocked to discover that she was going to the same high school as him, and that lent itself to several awkward moments. The images of the memory showed those in blazing detail, causing Gohan to blush. 

What an idiot I was! How could I have been so stupid? Mercifully, the image faded leaving Gohan to silently thank the heavens that no one was around to see that other than him! 

He had barely taken two more steps on the path before the next memory appeared. He wasn't in the initial start of the memory, and what he saw didn't make much sense. This was definitely not his memory but someone else's, but whose? The image showed Trunks, Goten and Videl helping a small village take care of a large Carnosaur. Both Trunks and Goten beat the creature easily and the village rejoiced. Gohan's eyes widened as he inhaled sharply as it finally struck him. This must've happened shortly before…

The hulking brute that was Brolly filled the image of his memory. He smiled that evil smile of his as he caught Videl's leg and tossed her to the lake below. The image changed and Gohan now saw himself going one on one with the Legendary Super Saiyan. He blurred to super speed just in time to catch Brolly's ki strike that was aimed at his brother and friends. Using his strength he tossed the energy high in the air and screamed as he used his ki to create a protective barrier around himself and the others. The energy exploded but he was able to save them, although the others were knocked unconscious from the blast. That's when his anger overtook him and he went super saiyan. Throwing caution to the wind he flew straight at Brolly who waited for him eagerly.

The image changed again. Now he saw himself, Goten and his father, each firing their Kamehameha Wave attack at Brolly. The Legendary Super Saiyan was strong, but again with words of encouragement from their father, the briefly reunited family was able to save the day and destroy Brolly. 

Gohan stood there as the image faded. He was still somewhat confused at the image as a whole. The middle and ending were right, but the beginning wasn't part of his memory. What did it mean? What were these images trying to tell him?

The image that appeared next wasn't his memory at all. He watched an argument between Videl and her father Mr. Satan. Judging by the heated words and the story that Videl told it had to happen soon after they killed Brolly. Mr. Satan dismissed the story as a hallucination at first, then came up with several improbable theories as to how it was a trick of the lights, mirrors, and other things. Videl pressed further, trying to get her father to believe her, but he wouldn't hear anymore on the subject. He accused her of falling into the wrong crowd and forbade her from seeing Gohan and the others. After all, they didn't measure up to The Strongest Fighter in the World! Gohan watched as Videl stormed off angrily as Mr. Satan brushed her off and reinforced his own ego with boasting of his prowess. Then he began laughing. The laughter faded away slower than the image did.

Gohan was completely at a loss. The memory was Videl's, he was sure of it! But why was he seeing this? How could he be seeing her memory? She never told him about that incident or any other regarding her father and herself. What was going on?

Lost in thought, Gohan didn't notice that he was walking on the path once more. Because of that the next image that appeared almost caught him completely by surprise. He was relieved to note that the memory was his own, and a happy one! Gohan and Videl went flying together that day. She had bugged him ceaselessly to show her the fullest extent of his powers and he finally relented. They soared through the air together for most of the day searching for a particular place. The object of the search was a place far enough away from populated areas and places teeming with life. Gohan finally picked a small desert on an island in the middle of the ocean. They landed and he collected himself for what he was about to do. He already warned her to raise her ki as high as she could in order to protect herself from injury. At first he told her to be farther away from him when he changed, but she was adamant. Sighing in defeat he compromised with her to shield herself. 

When she agreed he began raising his ki. Letting his emotions take complete control of him, he screamed as he clenched his fists. The tiny island shuddered as he raised his ki to its limits! The desert sand around him immediately turned into glass and began breaking up as his screams rose in intensity. The ground split outward with Gohan at the center. The ki that he gave off caused the glass to fly out in all directions, but Videl did as she was told and her dull white aura protected her from the glass. The wind picked up to gale force and she strained against his power to stay rooted to her spot. She looked at him in awe as she saw his hair change color from black to gold as his aura changed from white to that like gold fire. The rumbling slowly died down as Gohan finished his transformation to super saiyan. By the time he stopped screaming he was a full super saiyan. Videl stared in amazement, but he wasn't finished yet. Using his own power, he shot forth of beam of ki at Videl that surrounded her. Getting alarmed, she looked into his hard eyes. He told her that he wasn't done yet and she wasn't powerful enough to avoid getting hurt, so he used his power to protect her. When she nodded that she understood he continued the transformation. 

He took in a deep breath and exhaled. He screamed. Without warning, the ground exploded beneath him sending shards of earth up high into the sky! The ground under Videl's feet exploded also and she screamed in fright from the display of power. But his power did its work well and she remained unharmed, if a little shaken. Gold light burst from the cracks in the ground as the island threatened to shake itself apart! Videl watched as she saw his arms and legs suddenly bulge with muscle. His chest expanded, as did his neck. The golden light was nearly blinding as water began rushing up from the tears in the ground. The light continued getting brighter as he screamed until all she could see was pure light. Then the world around here exploded in a bright flash of light!

When her eyes adjusted back from her temporary blindness, she gave out a cry of astonishment as she looked down. There was no trace of an island anywhere! Both her and Gohan hovered over the endless expanse of the ocean. She slowly lifted her eyes to look at him. He hovered across from her, about a foot taller now that his transformation was complete. She was at a loss for words, seeing for the first time the true magnitude of his power! His expression had softened and he floated over to her telling her that now she could see why he, Vegeta, Trunks, and Goten were not the pretenders that her father said they were. If she had any doubts before this they were all gone now. She was totally unprepared for the sheer power of him, never guessing in her wildest dreams that he was as strong as he was! She gingerly reached out her hand and touched his chest. Her fingers slowly traced his muscles until she felt his beating heart. Mesmerized by the feeling she floated closer to him. Gohan didn't know what to make of her reaction. The nearness of her and the way her fingers danced across his chest sent a rush through him that he'd never felt before! The suddenness of her actions caused him to involuntarily drop out o super saiyan form. But she didn't seem to notice. 

Blushing profusely he tried to move, but couldn't. The sensations of her touch and the closeness of her nearly sent him reeling! Suddenly shaking herself out of her spell, she looked up at his blushing face. She recoiled her hand and hovered away from him, a shocked and embarrassed expression on her face. They were both blushing hard and an awkward silence followed. Videl was the one who eventually broke the silence with a question. She asked if he could train her so she could get as powerful as him. His mind was still racing and he nodded without really hearing her. She smiled as she looked at him and then she did the unexpected. She floated over to him and kissed him on the cheek! She whispered a thank you in his ear and then she flew off toward home, leaving Gohan hovering there in shock as the image faded back into the darkness.

Gohan's smile widened as he blushed at the memory. I guess that's how things got started between us. But most things start out small and grow over time. He jogged briskly down the path, eagerly awaiting the next image. While he ran he started to connect everything together. It was kind of inevitable that they would get together, he reasoned. They were alike in so many ways and their differences didn't cause any strife between them. His thoughts drifted back to when he began her training in earnest. The World's Tournament was coming up and everyone was going to be there. He was excited because his dad was granted a reprieve and he would be on Earth for a full day. Everything started going fine until Videl met up with her opponent Sloppovich. Everything spiraled down after that. They met the Supreme Kai and learned about the creature known as Buu. He was out from getting his energy taken from him by Sloppovich and his friend, with a little help from the Supreme Kai. That started that dreadfully long battle with the Buu creature and the universe was eventually saved when Goku destroyed Buu with his Spirit Bomb. The Earth had been destroyed but the dragonballs were recovered. The Earth was wished back and everyone who was killed by Buu. The good guys had won the day, but it was too close for comfort.

After the fight with Buu, things started to settle back down. He continued his training with Videl, who redoubled her efforts to become the best that she could. Eventually she talked Bulma into making her a superhero suit like Gohan's and now there were two warriors, affectionately named by the populace Saiyaman I and Saiyaman II. Ever since her death, she had changed. He guessed that what happened earlier when she kissed him was a fluke because she was all business when it came down to training. He decided not to even raise the subject to her, but soon events transpired that brought about a new evil to Earth, an evil named Hildegarn.

Gohan heard the low growl of the dark god that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Th image appeared to his left and he saw the massive form of Hildegarn swat Videl into a building. She struck it with a sickening crunch and landed hard on the concrete below. All of the other Z Fighters were down except for Goku who floated across Hildegarn in his 3rd level super saiyan form and Trunks who had taken the sword from the fallen warrior Tapion. Trunks attacked, cleanly cutting the tail off the dark god. Hildegarn smashed Goku into a tall building and was following through with another punch that would have crushed his father, but Goku struck first. Using a technique that no one had ever seen before, his fist struck out toward Hildegarn and his energy formed into a golden dragon that surround the dark god and exploded, destroying the evil once and for all. The image darkened, leaving the path before him.

I think I know where this is going, he thought to himself. I'm starting to understand now.

The time after Hildegarn's defeat was one of peace for the world. He had resumed his studies and was getting grades good enough to get him seen by several large scientific Universities. In the meantime he continued his training with Videl who was growing stronger and getting better at using her ki. Eventually they had to find a larger area, as Gohan's backyard became too restrictive if he was going to teach her. She had found a quaint island in the middle of the ocean that was perfect for them. 

The area surround Gohan lit up and the island took the place of the darkness. He looked up in confusion and saw stars in the night sky. He touched a fern and was shocked to actually feel it. It seemed so real! He heard himself and Videl up on the hilltop; he looked up and saw the two of them deep in training. She blocked his kick with her forearm like he taught her and she countered with a leg-sweep but he flipped over it and sailed down the hilltop, landing not even five feet away from where he stood. The other Gohan didn't seem to notice him and he looked up and saw Videl leap down from the hilltop and fly into him, sending a flurry of punches and kicks at him. He leapt backward, raising his arms up to block the blows, but she kept at him. Gohan tried to get out of the way of the two as they came at him, but he was too dumbfounded to move. The combatants passed right through him as if he wasn't there. He turned to follow the combat and saw himself block her strikes and lift his legs up ward to kick her. She anticipated the attack and flipped over him, but he was faster and gently brought his knee up to her midsection as she landed. He knew that it wouldn't hurt her but the attack did cause her to lose her balance and she fell splashing into the ocean water. 

"Better luck next time," he said laughing as he stretched his hand out to her.

"Humph!" she pouted, soaking wet. "I'll get you yet Gohan!" She took his hand and he lifted her up. He didn't notice her wicked smile as the instant she stood facing him she hooked her leg around his, causing him to lose his balance.

"Wha?" he said as he tried to compensate by flipping in the air, but her weight was suddenly against him and all he accomplished was landing on his back with Videl on top of him.

"Gotcha!" she said smiling as water dripped off her onto him.

"That wasn't fair," he complained smiling. "You cheated!" He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"You weren't expecting it, and I got you fair and square," she said. "Deal with it."

Gohan watched smiling as he saw Videl get the better of him. Yes, she did cheat. It was dirty, underhanded, and cheap, but she was right; he never expected it. He smiled as he saw her kiss him on the lips.

"What was that for?" he asked, blushing.

Her smile never left, but the wickedness part was gone, replaced by something else. "You make me so happy, Gohan. I can't imagine being happier with anyone else."

Gohan was oblivious. "Huh?"

She sighed in exasperation. "You, dummy! I've tried giving you hints here and there but you're blind! So I guess I'll have to use the direct approach." She pressed her body against his and kissed him hard on the lips. Her tongue gently probed beyond and she felt his body tense, but she didn't stop.

Finally she let go. She looked at him with the same smile and waited to see the dawning of understanding come over his face. She didn't have to wait long.

"Oh," he said blinking. She rolled her eyes in defeat, but then he smiled and kissed her back passionately.

The newly found couple disappeared, but the island remained. It was true, Gohan thought, he did miss all the signals. But then again, he'd never been in that type of predicament before. He also knew of what he was, and he wasn't a human, but a hybrid of saiyan and human. With all that he'd been through in his life he had erected defenses against such a thing happening. Given what he was, there was an inherent danger in such a union. He'd overheard some horror stories from Bulma about her relationship with Vegeta and he knew the relationship of his father and mother wasn't always kosher. He had always dreaded the idea that he would find someone that he would develop feelings for. Their race had this tendency to get into trouble with some very powerful beings. In fact, trouble seemed to seek them out specifically and there was generally a lot of property damage in their wake, not to mention the lives of innocent people who were caught in the middle. Having someone caught in the middle there somewhere, especially a family, wasn't right in his eyes. He'd always thought he would grow up alone, but that didn't really bother him because he had his family and his friends. Videl had single-handedly turned that safe idea of a world upside down!

Gohan knelt down where he and Videl kissed all those months ago and ran his hand across the sand. It was warm to the touch and the moonlight glistened off of it. He stood up and began walking to the hilltop. The walk up to the top took some time, but he was rewarded with a beautiful view of the moon high above the ocean. He sat down and closed his eyes, deep in thought. His mind was still full of questions, like why was he seeing these memories in the first place? Why and how was he seeing memories that weren't his own? What was the purpose behind it all, and who was behind it?

He was so lost in thought that he didn't feel a slender hand land on his shoulder and gently squeeze it. His meditation was broken however when he heard a very familiar voice.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Videl?"

To be continued…

A/N: It's not the best written chapter I've done, and it's a bit long, but I'm proud of it. Since this story is also about how Gohan and Videl got together I thought this would be an appropriate place to do it (and it's only took me 14 chapters to get there!). I also tried to give the story justice since Akira Toriyama hasn't given us the definitive story of how they got together. This chapter is a bit dry but has a lot of story in it. I hope I didn't alienate too many readers because of it. Since there are like, a billion Gohan/Videl romances out there I tried to make this one my own and make it believable at the same time. It's hard to do this, you know? I'm trying to be careful by not writing anything that has been written before, and if I had, somebody please send me a link to the story. I haven't found many Gohan/Videl romances that I liked, but there are a few gems out there. If, by some chance, I'm writing something that's already out there I'd like to say that it's unintentional and I'm not copying stories that other established authors have put their hard work in.

That's about as disclaimer-ish as I can get and I thank you for your time. For all those who wanna know about the next chapter, here you go: Videl and Gohan are together again and more of the plot is explained. WARNING! There will be some lemony bits and other some such throughout the next two chapters. It's kinda integral to the story (and I can still get away with it considering the story rating) but if that's not your cup o' tea you can skip it. When the action picks up again I'll give a summary of what plot you might have missed.

That's all for now, see ya next chapter!


	15. Memories: Part II The Present

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Memories: Part II – The Present

Warning: Lemony content below! If you are underage, please leave this chapter. FF.net still allows us the R-rating for stories and we don't want that taken from us too. Thank you for your time. For those who are of age (and you are, right?), welcome! Now on with the story…

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"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Videl?"

He jumped and turned with a start. He couldn't believe it but there she was! Videl stood in front of him, tears ran down her cheeks and she smiled at him. He was so astonished he couldn't move. She did. Videl moved closer to him, so close hat he could feel her warm breath against his cheek. She lowered her head and buried it in his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. As the shock slowly wore off, he put his arms around her. She brought her head up after a time and looked into his eyes. She drew her face close to his and kissed him. Their kiss seemed to last for eternity, and neither wanted it to end.

Gohan eventually broke away from the kiss, his face flushed with heat. "How," he started hoarsely, "how did you get here?"

"You know," she said quietly, "you're a hard man to find."

"It's really you! I…I can't believe it!"

She smiled as he brushed her cheek with is finger. "Believe it, my love." She buried herself in his chest again. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, Videl." He hugged her closer to him, letting his love envelop her.

He let her go when she gently tried to pull away from him after long minutes. "I don't know how much time I have left," she stated.

"What do you mean?"

He finally saw how tired she appeared. She sighed and explained "I used my ki to find you from the outside. When I felt the piece of you that was lock away I sent part of myself into you to try and get you out. I found myself surrounded in total darkness until a path appeared in front of me." She shook her head; "I started seeing memories from my past, and other memories that weren't mine."

"That's what happened to me too," he said excitedly. "I caught images from memories that I didn't live through, and I think they were yours."

She nodded, "Yes, they were. And I could tell that some of the memories were yours. I guess that our memories got all mixed up here."

Gohan looked around, the landscape hadn't changed, and they were still on the island from their shared memories. "But what was that all about," he spread his hands wide indicating the island, "and what about this?"

I don't know," she shrugged. "Before I found you, I thought about this place and it suddenly appeared."

They weren't closer to the answers they wanted, but they were finally together. Videl sank to the ground, feeling very tired. Gohan gathered her in his arms and held her. "Now that we're together how do we get out of here?"

Videl sighed as she smiled, "I have no idea."

Gohan cursed under his breath, he couldn't tap into his power and the trip for her took more out of her than she anticipated. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution. "Let's see, the last thing I remember before my bonds broke was seeing you hit me with your ki. I could feel your ki spiking higher than your body could take."

"Oh that," she said waiving her hand nonchalantly, "Vegeta taught me that."

His eyes widened, "Vegeta?"

She nodded, "Yes. He trained me in the Room of Spirit and Time. He taught me all sorts of useful tricks. They've kept me alive so far."

Gohan was impressed beyond words! Vegeta? Training someone other than Trunks?

"He also taught me things about your race," she said. "He taught me about the bond."

"Bond?" he asked confused.

She nodded and closed her eyes, trying to bring the memory to bare. The island slowly faded into darkness and was replaced by the endless, surreal expanse of the pocket dimension known as the Room of Spirit and Time. Vegeta stood there dressed in his blue muscle T-shirt and training pants. His arms were folded across his chest and he looked like he was waiting. Videl came up behind him and he began lecturing.

"It's what we saiyans call bonding. When two spirits touch and are found compatible they bond together in a way that almost defies meaning. It is how we saiyans find our mates."

"Mates? You mean like getting married?" She started to blush a bit.

Vegeta closed his eyes and smiled. "You humans have no concept what it's like when you bond with a saiyan. Only Bulma and Chi-Chi and now you know what it feels like."

"But..." she stammered.

"Get over it," he said in a hard tone. "You've just begun the bonding process, there's more to it than connecting your spirits."

"It was just a brief second, I couldn't hold the connection."

"It will come with time. You know," he said, his smile broadening, "Bulma was the one who initially bonded with me the first time."

"How?"

He sighed, "That damn woman! Her fire was what set off the bond. I couldn't stand her! And yet, there was something about her that intrigued me. I didn't realize what was happening before it was almost too late."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Once the bonding process has started it grows over time. The two spirits are almost in constant contact with each other, but you don't even know it. It's a failsafe mechanism that allows one to know when the other is in danger. But that's just scratching the surface."

"I know when Gohan's been in trouble before, all I had to do was sense for his ki signature. How is that different from the bond?"

"The bond is so much more," he replied. "Take Kakarot and Chi-Chi for example. Those two, I hate to say it, are meant for each other. Kakarot is an idiot, pure and simple. Chi-Chi is the other part of him that makes him complete...if that's possible," the last he uttered under his breath. "Once the bonding is complete a transformation of sorts comes over them, heightened senses, an awareness of danger, and a feeling of indescribable completeness. This doesn't happen overnight, it takes time. The natures of the bonding spirits need to find a stable ground to grow. It could take months or years depending on how combative the two spirits are toward each other. It took Bulma nearly a year before she was able to find that middle ground with me."

"I suspect Kakarot and Chi-Chi took less time, given his damnable easy-going nature," Vegeta mused. 

"How do you know when and who you are going to bond with?"

"It just happens," he shrugged. "Why do people fall in love? It's a question that can't be answered. The bonding can happen at any age. Back on Vegeta, when I was young and doing my initial training several other warriors that were about Gohan's age when we fought Cell were already bonding with saiyan women. When it happens it happens, and it's for life."

"Can the bond be broken?"

"Not even death can permanently break the bond. However, for the one left alive the days can prove...troublesome. Chi-Chi would know what I speak of. Death does weaken the bond, but no more. From what I'm told the still living mate feels hollow and incomplete. However it is only temporary. When the other one goes to the spirit world the spirits are reunited once again. We saiyans haven't encountered any other races yet that have anything akin to the bond."

"So, you think Gohan and I are bonded somehow?"

"Of course," he replied. "Frankly, I'm surprised it's taken this long for it to become a reality. I thought you two would have bonded a while ago."

"But that's such a big step," she said shakily. "I don't know if I'm ready for that yet."

"It doesn't matter. You initiated the bonding process. Obviously you are ready."

"But," she stammered. He raised his hand, "Enough talk. Look, it's not a bad thing. It's the most wondrous experience you'll ever have and you will constantly be in that state for the rest of your life."

"If it's so wonderful," she countered, " then why are you so pissed off all the time?"

His right eyebrow twitched, and he flexed his arms to keep himself under control. "It has nothing to do with the bond," he replied evenly. "My reasons are my own, so stay out of my business."

"Sorry," she replied, stiffening a little.

He sighed in exasperation. "I don't know why I'm trying to prove this to you," he explained. She looked over at him and he appeared to be in deep thought. A few moments passed.

"Fine," he said evenly. "If this doesn't prove the power of the bond, nothing will." He stretched out his hand to her.

"What are you talking about?"

"No more questions," he said quietly. "Take my hand and open yourself up. Free your mind and relax."

She gave him a sidelong glance, not knowing what he was up to. "Hurry up," he snapped causing her to jump, "we don't have all day!" Gathering her courage she took his hand…

The image faded, replaced by darkness. Gohan devoured the information as it came to him. "So," he began, "we're…bonded?"

She nodded, smiling. "Vegeta said I started the bond between us. He showed me what the bond felt like, honestly, I can't describe it. But it was the most wonderful feeling in the world."

"But I could feel your ki before and I could tell when you were in trouble. How is this 'bond' different?"

"Vegeta said the bond gets stronger over time. It just takes a while."

The gears slowly turned inside his brain. "Okay," he said, his face frowning as he struggled to comprehend it all, "I think I get it. No…wait," he said as his eyes widened and his face brightened, but then the frown returned, "No…"

Videl smiled as she looked at him. For someone who got the highest scores in his class, and who was studying in one of the most prestigious universities in the world, he sure was dumb sometimes! "Look," she said as she sat up from his lap, "I think I have an idea that might help you understand."

He nodded as she pressed him gently down on the dark ground and lay down on top of him. "Now relax," she said as she traced her fingers around the muscles on his chest. 

He did as instructed, but given the compromising position he was in it was a bit hard. Videl closed her eyes and tapped into her ki. Her power increased and the silver aura surrounded both her and Gohan. She let the ki run through every part of her body and once her power reached a certain level she held it. Slowly, she forced all of the emotions out of her mind as she concentrated on holding her power. She left one emotion inside her and that was her undying love for Gohan. She let her love for him flow through her body like her power did and when she was finished her aura changed from a bright silver to a light blue. She opened her eyes and looked down at him. Her look spoke volumes of her true love for him. She pressed her body against him, feeling the full measure of his being. She lowered her head to his and kissed him gently on the lips.

As she kissed him, her light blue aura slowly enveloped him. Her tongue gently opened his mouth as she passionately kissed deeper, then she released her power.

Gohan felt like a thunderbolt just struck him! Her power coursed through him, energizing every nerve in his body. The feeling wasn't harmful in the slightest; in fact, it was the most wondrous experience he ever had! 

She kissed him harder, giving in to her desires for once. He was kissing back as passionately as she was, and she felt his hands go under her shirt. She threw the half jacket off and began taking his shirt off as well. The landscape surrounding them changed, but they didn't seem to notice. They were in a large room. The only light came from a cackling fire in the fireplace. Gohan lay on a white bear rug and she was still on top of him. He got her shirt off and lightly ran his hands down her back. Then he shifted them and began tracing his fingers up her stomach. She arched her back and sighed in pleasure as his hands found what they were looking for. Her hands attacked his pants while his went higher to trace her neck and each side of her cheek. The sensations of his fingers were so intoxicating to her! She caught one of his fingers in her mouth and gently bit down on it. She ran her tongue playfully around it before letting go. 

Videl got off of him and finished taking the rest of his clothes off. Suddenly, he was on top of her, kissing her neck. His hands traced down to her pants and started unbuttoning them. She ran her hands through his hair, waiting for him to finish. His lips returned to hers when he was don and she wrapped her legs around his back as instinct took over…

They didn't know why much time passed nor did they care. Lost in each other's arms they were truly one. Afterwards, they shifted position so she could lie on top of him. He stroked her hair as she rested contentedly on his chest. The scene changed back to the darkness, but they didn't seem to notice. For several more long moments the only sounds they heard was their breathing. Videl eventually broke the silence.

"That was more than I ever dreamed," she purred.

Gohan felt different somehow. It wasn't the felling of what they just accomplished, but something else…something more. He felt…complete. The very being of Videl filled his soul in a way that nothing ever had before. It was strange, exciting, horrifying and pleasant at the same time. And it felt so right! He looked down to see her staring up at him. He smiled, "What?"

She shook head, and returned the smile, "Nothing. I'm just so happy." She sighed and pressed her head back down on his chest. She could hear the steady thumping of his heartbeat against her head, and she traced his chest muscles with a finger.

They eventually got up and put their clothes back on. That's when things started to get weird. Videl suddenly clutched her sides in pain and she doubled over. "Videl!" he cried in alarm. "What is it? Are you okay?"

She winced with the pain and took his hand to stand back up. "I…I don't know."

Gohan felt a distant echo of pain. With the knowledge of fighting for most of his life he knew where it came from. It had come from the outside. He gripped her as she screamed again in pain, nearly collapsing from the pain. He felt another echo, this time in his back, and that was where it was hurting Videl. "Damn! We've got to get out of here quickly, I'm killing you out there!"

"How do we do that?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"I don't know," he replied, as she writhed in more pain.

Then Videl suddenly became transparent. He began to panic as he started to lose his connection to her. "I…I think…" she said through the pain, "…my time's up."

"No!" he cried vehemently. "I can't lose you now!"

"I'm sorry, my love," she said as she became totally insubstantial and started fading away, "I'm sorry, I failed you. I love…"

Then she was gone.

Gohan screamed in rage and loss. Unseen chaos swirled around him, and evil laughter filled his ears. Darkness gripped him and the shackles returned. Like before, he fell through the darkness railing against the unseen forces that held him. He screamed her name as he fell, but all he heard was laughter…

Next chapter: Videl's back, and Vegeta's got a small problem on his hands. Oh, and someone's gonna die! See ya later!


	16. Friend vs Friend Part III Bleak Times

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Friend vs. Friend Part III

Summary and Author's Notes: The last chapter saw Videl finally reaching Gohan and explaining to him the significance of the saiyan bond. Gohan, true to form, had a hard time grasping the concept. Videl used her powers and a kiss to show him what it was all about. Caught up in the moment, however, she gave in to her deepest desires and they…well, you get the picture. How could that be crucial to the story, you ask? I'm thinking long term here (hint, hint). Anyway, everything fine and peaceful until Videl doubles over in pain. Gohan, feeling the connection between her and him, realizes that his body is doing some hefty damage to her on the outside. Then she starts fading away. Gohan is powerless to stop her since he doesn't have access to his powers. When she fully disappears the bonds come back and Gohan's back at square one. Well, at least that's how it looks anyway. Caught up? Good! Now back to the story.

Dalron stood over the fallen body of 18. She had gotten farther into the fortress than he anticipated. He guessed right when he said that the guard robots wouldn't be a problem for her. She nearly got to the detention area before he got to her. She didn't know who he was, how could she? She assumed he was a guard and clumsily attacked. He dodged her assault and k.o.'ed her with a blur of punches. She was out before his second punch landed, be he had to give her credit for not backing down. Had she known who she was dealing with she might have used a different tactic, or even given up. He sighed as he picked her up and carried her off to the detention area. Maintenance robots came out of their holes in the wall and gathered the remains of the guard robots as he pressed the keypad to open the door. 

The detention area was a collection of small cells that held the friends of the warriors outside. Each captive was in a separate cell and each cell glowed brightly with electrical power. The one called Yaumcha found out first the folly of trying to escape. He was still unconscious from grasping the bars. The others looked up at Dalron as he entered.

"Let us out," complained Puar.

"Just wait until the others get here," the blue haired woman exclaimed with a hateful expression on her face, "then you'll be sorry!"

Dalron said nothing as he opened an empty cell and gently laid down 18. He stepped back and activated the cell.

"18," the older man yelled. He turned to Dalron, "What have you done to her you…"

Dalron cut him off before he could finish, "She is alive. The others are outside attempting your rescue as I speak." He could feel their morale soar as they heard his words.

"Then you know, " the old man pressed with renewed confidence, "that nothing will stop them from defeating you and your plans!"

A strange feeling of deja vu suddenly came over Dalron, and a few seconds passed as he considered the old man's words. "We shall see," was his quiet response, and then he left. The doors hissed shut, leaving the captives to their own silence and private hope.

Dalron stood there outside the detention area for a long time, his mind was filled with similar conversations he and others of his kind had said during the saiyan occupation. These earthlings are fighting for their home, he thought. And yet, it is ironic that I am the aggressor here. His thoughts betrayed him more as he walked back to the command room.

Vegeta knew that time was running out. The Spirit Bomb loomed larger than life as he streaked toward it, a Kamehameha Wave at his back, pushing him ever closer to oblivion. He didn't have enough time to gather enough energy to get rid of the Kamehameha Wave, and he was fairly certain that he couldn't dissipate a Spirit Bomb even if he was at full power. A slew of cursing issued from his mouth; the languages included Saiyan, English, Japanese, German, and even some French. Forced to play his Ace Card, he brought his hand up to his forehead and concentrated. He disappeared right as the two attacks met. He reappeared above and behind Goku, breathing heavily. Since he and Goku had fused on two occasions, that gave them intimate knowledge of each other's attacks, if not the knowledge of how to use them. It took Vegeta almost two years to finally figure out how to use the Instant Transmission technique, but the time spent was well worth it.

"I wonder were you got that," Goku asked as he turned to face Vegeta.

"Don't patronize me, baka!" Every bone in his body ached, and his hands bore blisters from the intense heat of Goku's trademark energy technique.

"Did you learn this one?" Goku smiled as he raised his energy.

Vegeta crouched in a defensive position, he knew what was coming next, and he wasn't too pleased at it.

"SUPER KAI-O-KEN!"

Goku's aura turned reddish brown as his power multiplied to ungodly levels. He leapt to the air with a speed that defied meaning. Vegeta brought his arms and knees up to defend himself as Goku punched him. The force of the blow knocked him back and nearly broke his arm. Goku came at him with a speed that Vegeta couldn't match and appeared behind him as he flew backward. Goku caught him in a super bearhug and squeezed. Vegeta screamed in pain as he heard the bones snap in his right arm! Goku squeezed tighter.

"You never could beat me," Goku goaded as he gripped harder. "You were always the weaker one."

"No!" Vegeta grunted as he felt his life being squeezed away. "I…am…" he raised his ki to its highest level and started pushing beyond, "…the…King…of…all…"

His muscle mass increased and his aura flared. Beams of golden ki shot from his eyes as his power increased. "…SAIYANS!' As he finished the sentence his body went rigid and his aura flared out. The sheer force of the display caused Goku to release him from his bearhug. Vegeta's aura burned brighter and changed into pure fire as he screamed. His aura blasted out, hitting Goku and bringing him out of his heightened state. Vegeta's power flung Goku across the desert. He caught himself and raised his ki to protect himself from Vegeta, and flew down toward the ground to regroup.

Vegeta's aura died down, but his eyes glowed with the power that was his and what he had reached. He blurred effortlessly to where Goku was going, and got there before he did. Goku felt the aura die down but realized what was going on a split second later. Vegeta stood staring up at him with the golden eyes. Goku shifted and blurred to super speed and attacked from all angles. Vegeta blocked each attack with his good arm and kicked behind him. His foot was there before Goku was, and the connection caused all of the air to be forced out of his lungs. Vegeta pivoted on his other foot to face Goku and sent his outstretched leg back across Goku's face. Goku tumbled to the ground in a heap as he skidded a good hundred feet away from where he stood previously.

Vegeta blurred and appeared behind him as Goku slowly got up. Vegeta watched calmly as Goku spat out blood from his mouth. He powered up and flew at Vegeta, his fist outstretched. The sound like a thunderclap was very satisfying to Goku as his fist connected squarely on Vegeta's chest. His smile disappeared as Vegeta didn't even flinch from the blow.

Piccolo grasped the stump of what was left of his right arm. His regeneration abilities were already in overdrive, and it would still take precious moments for him to get his arm back. But they didn't have the moments to spare as Leviathan charged through the group again, sending the warriors tumbling in all directions. Leviathan was truly a wounded beast and he fought like one now. Gone was the pretense of playing, he was out to kill, and if the fighters weren't careful, none would leave alive.

Tien was on his feet first and charged the enraged monster. The Grand Kai was up next and he did the same. Leviathan was in a berserk rage as he howled and flew at Tien. Tien saw the clumsy attack and shifted his weight and pivoted in mid-air, avoiding the creature's outstretched arm. As he turned, he grabbed the monster's arm for leverage and swung around, bringing his knees up to Leviathan's face. The creature staggered back as several of it's fangs shattered from the attack. The Grand Kai appeared between the creature's legs and viciously punched upward, crunching the creature in a very sensitive spot! Leviathan swept its legs out in an attempt to crush the wily old man under his weight, but he back-flipped out of the way. Tien let go of his arm as he went down, and hovered there waiting for the creature to impact the earth. When he did, he brought his hands up to his face in a triangle shape and used his gravity attack to press the creature further into the ground. Pikkon and Olibu appeared beside Tien and screamed as they sent hurtling balls of energy down to where Leviathan was. The explosion caused a lot of sand and debris to fly into the air, obscuring their vision. Leviathan appeared from out of nowhere and clotheslined both Pikkon and Tien to the ground. The impact of the attack sent deep splits in the ground out in all directions.

Dende teetered over a vast chasm that wasn't there a moment before. The ground shook which kept him off balance and he fell into the abyss below. Before he knew what was happening, he was suddenly in someone's arms…er, arm.

"Thanks Piccolo."

"Don't mention it," was the gruff reply. "Just watch where you step next time." Piccolo flew back up and dropped off Dende and flew toward Leviathan.

Videl streaked through the darkness to a point of light that was the physical world. She felt the sensation of an explosion as she passed through the barrier then everything went white. 

As her eyes focused, she realized Gohan was standing over her. Her heart jumped at the sight, but the look on his face brought back the pain at failing to rescue him. Despair overwhelmed her, as she understood the predicament she was in. She was on the ground and her body exploded in pain as Gohan stomped down hard on the small of her back. Her spine threatened to snap from the force of the blow! Gohan jumped off her and kicked her savagely. Videl felt her rib cage explode and heard the sound of several of her ribs cracking. Through her despair she heard her own voice in her head, detailing things she learned in Anatomy class about punctured lungs, but she didn't care. She failed him and the others when it mattered the most. If only she hadn't given in to her deepest desires, maybe then they would've had enough time to figure out a way to get him back. Her back exploded again as she slammed into the side of the mountain. Whatever little air she had in her system was forcibly expelled from the impact and she crumpled to the ground in a heap, but, unmercifully, she did not pass out. 

Gohan's connection had been renewed to himself and his mind's eye showed him every excruciating detail of what he was doing to his love. He snapped as his rage took complete control, and he howled at the forces that held him. A singular thought burned within him, he had to escape! If he didn't, he would kill her. His screams of rage were drowned out by evil laughter, laughter that was eerily familiar. The laughter was the thing that got him under control, and the more he listened to it, the more familiar it sounded. Finally it came to him; it was his! As soon as the realization hit the bonds disappeared. Gohan fell down to the rocky path below, the darkness surrounded him, yet it moved and pulsed as if it had a life of its own. 

"It'll be all over soon," a dark voice spoke from the darkness.

Gohan's eyes widened in shock as he realized the voice was his. His eyes darted everywhere, searching for the source of the voice.

"You're not me," Gohan growled, "Show yourself, coward!"

"As you wish," the voice responded.

Gohan crouched in a defensive position expecting an attack, but none came. Instead, he heard the soft echoes of footfalls as they slowly became louder. Eventually he saw a boot step out from the darkness to his right. The rest of the figure followed. Gohan was so astonished; he couldn't breathe as 'he' came into view.

An exact replica of Gohan stood before himself. The only difference between the two was the replica had an aura of menace about him, and the smile made plain the evil intentions of him.

"It's…" Gohan stammered as he stepped back. "It's…impossible!"

"So, I'm not you," 'he' mocked in a conversational tone. He brought his hand up to his chin in a thoughtful gesture. "Well, if I'm not you, then who am I?" He took a step toward the other Gohan.

Gohan instinctively stepped back. "Stay away," Gohan warned, which prompted the other Gohan to erupt with evil laughter.

"Or what?" He took another step closer, "You'll attack me? You'll attack yourself? Don't you see the significance of this?"

Gohan collected himself and resumed his defensive stance. "I don't know what's going on here," he stated as he started raising his ki. "But I do know that you are keeping me from finding a way out of here."

The other Gohan nodded, "Well, that much is true at least." He crouched down in the same defensive position as the other. "I'm having too much fun out there, and I hate being cooped up in here."

Both Gohan's powered up as their auras flared to life. The evil Gohan glared evilly at the other. "Now that I've tasted the freedom that was denied me, I won't go back!" In unison, the two Gohans charged.

Goku went for broke as he used nearly all of his energy in a cataclysmic Kamehameha Wave attack. The energy expanded from his outstretched hands, growing several times larger than Goku was tall. The beam shot out at Vegeta, who had his arms in position for his Final Flash attack. But it was a feint on Vegeta's part. As the Kamehameha Wave reached Vegeta, he leapt over it and sailed down to Goku, flying barely inches above the highest point of the attack. Goku blurred away in time as Vegeta smashed the ground with his powerful fist. Goku capitalized as he blurred above the Saiyan Prince and brought both fists down on Vegeta's head. Vegeta plowed through the earth face-first. Goku shot beam after beam through the hole in the ground, exploding the area, and exposing the ground underneath. As the smoke cleared, Goku saw the still form of Vegeta, who was no longer in super saiyan form, and unconscious. Goku was breathing heavily and sweat dripped from his brow. He floated down to the still form of Vegeta.

"That was a nice trick," Goku panted as he smiled. "I didn't even know there was a level beyond third. You've been busy! But it looks like it has the same problem as super saiyan 3; so much energy is being used and the body can't handle it for long. You were barely in that state for a minute."

Vegeta started to stir and he groaned in pain and exhaustion. Goku's smile turned evil as he powered to ki balls in each hand. "You did pretty good, "he remarked, "but it wasn't enough."

Vegeta painfully opened his eyes to look at Goku. He struggled to raise his good arm up at him in defiance. "Blast…you…Kakarot!"

"Don't worry Vegeta, I'll make this quick." He stood over Vegeta with the energy balls aimed at his back. He raised his hands over his head for the final attack…

"Vegeta and Videl are in trouble," Dende yelled as Piccolo skidded to a halt at his feet.

"We have a small problem of our own," he coughed as he got up. His arm had finally regenerated, but the damage he had sustained in the meantime was overtaxing his system.

"I have to go to them," Dende pressed. Then he ducked as Olibu barely missed clipping him as he sailed above him.

"No," Piccolo commanded. "We need you to stay here with us, the others can handle themselves."

"But…"

"No," he commanded, more forcefully than the last. "Vegeta and Videl trained for this, they know what they're doing. Now go help Olibu!" Piccolo shot off to engage Leviathan with Pikkon, Tien, and The Grand Kai.

Dende knew the truth of Piccolo's words, but gave fearful looks in both Vegeta's and Videl's directions. Sighing, he flew over to Olibu and began healing him.

Pikkon wrapped his legs around Leviathan's huge neck and flipped backward, using all of his strength in the effort. It paid off as Leviathan was lifted off his feet and landed on his back with a loud thud. Pikkon was in his face punching with lefts and rights. Tien clutched the creature's legs, straining to keep him pinned to the ground. Piccolo appeared high above the fighters and shouted, "Now!"

Both combatants leapt off Leviathan, which gave Piccolo a clear shot. "SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

The beam hit Leviathan square in the chest, and his screams of pain were louder than the sound of the explosion. Tien and The Grand Kai appeared on each side of Piccolo and they all shot their hands forward in unison. Their combined attack sent a large gravity wave toward the crater where Leviathan was. The attack hit, smashing him deeper into the earth. Great cracks spread out from the point of impact, and then everything went silent.

"Do you think we got him, Piccolo?" Tien asked.

He frowned, "I can't feel his ki, but I doubt it."

"Then let's get the bastard," The Grand Kai exclaimed.

Before they had a chance to move, something horrible happened. A bright beam of energy exploded through Tien's chest and continued outward toward space. Wide-eyed, Tien looked down at the gaping hole where his chest used to be. Piccolo and The Grand Kai were too shocked to do anything, as time seemed to slow down as Tien dropped to the ground…dead.

"That's what you get for forgetting about us!"

Piccolo and The Grand Kai turned to see Gotenks, his finger outstretched. "We'll show you!"

Goku's aura flared as he poured more power into the energy balls. "Any last words?"

Vegeta looked up, and his pained expression suddenly disappeared! "Yes," he said, smiling, "Your time's up!"

At first, Goku thought that Vegeta had totally lost it! HE was the one who had the edge here, not the other way around! Then it happened. As if to prove Vegeta's point, he de-powered back to a normal saiyan, his energy balls were gone. He waited too long to finish him off! He couldn't sustain the power any longer. Goku stared down, and to his horror, Vegeta was gone! Acting on instinct, he lashed out with a kick behind him. Vegeta's bad forearm blocked the kick and his face betrayed no emotion aside from a slight twitch as Goku hit. Goku was so struck with astonishment at the face he didn't move. Vegeta powered up to super saiyan and punched Goku with his good arm. His emotionless expression didn't change and Goku coughed as he took the full brunt of the attack in the stomach. A second later he passed out. Vegeta gently lowered him to the ground. 

"You were right Kakarot," he commented, "You always were better than me and you always will. But this time, I…" he stopped. Thinking back, he smiled as the realization hit him. Kakarot had burned as much energy as he could during the fight, hoping that Vegeta would be able to outlast him. Even struck with the controlling poison, he had found a way to help! Vegeta continued, "We…needed to defeat you. Rest, Kakarot. Hopefully we'll be done with this by the time you wake up. I will make sure Chi-Chi and your sons are there when you do, I swear!"

Vegeta took to the air, focusing all his remaining strength to the next battle ahead…Gohan.

Next Chapter: It's a metaphysical meltdown as Gohan fights himself for control of…himself. That just doesn't sound right! Now that Gotenks is back on the scene, and Tien is permanently out, will the rest of the Z Fighters be able to handle their enemies? There's only one way to find out! Tune in next week for another exciting episode of G. I. J…er, sorry about that. The next chapter should be posted in a week or so, see ya then!

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A/N: Giving a shout out to my sis for beta reading this thing, and finding way too many errors for my ego to handle! There's probably more, but thanks anyway sis!


	17. My Worst Enemy Part I Confrontation

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My Worst Enemy – Part I: Confrontation

Gohan still didn't fully understand what was going on. A darker version of himself had walked out from the darkness and confronted him. He was intent on keeping him from finding a way out, and Gohan didn't have any time to lose. Dark Gohan powered up, using the same mystic abilities that he had, and charged. Gohan powered up as well and engaged his darker version in combat. His darker self blurred at the last moment and Gohan's punch passed effortlessly through air. He brought his leg up in time to block the knee strike from the side and the two warriors leapt back. Dark Gohan regarded the other with a wry smile. "You're scared," he taunted as he began circling around him. 

Gohan scowled at him and paralleled his movements. Without warning, Dark Gohan launched himself at him. Gohan blocked the strike and back-flipped over the follow-through kick, landing in a defensive stance. Dark Gohan's smile widened, and he dropped his offensive posture. His cold stare bore into Gohan like a knife! He's daring me to attack, he thought, so why aren't I? Dark Gohan's smile disappeared, replaced by grim purpose and determination. He blurred and instantly Gohan dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding a sweeping kick that was meant for his rib cage. He twisted and dove to the left, again narrowly avoiding a downward punch. He tumbled to his feet and crouched, anticipating another attack. Instead his dark version stood there, eyeing him warily. He took a few steps back and took a deep breath before speaking, "I knew you were afraid, but I underestimated by how much."

"I'm not afraid!"

"Then attack me," he answered back, spreading his arms wide.

Gohan considered his options, which he didn't have many of. He knew that it was a trap, but what other choice did he have? The longer he stood here…

"Videl gets that much closer to death," Dark Gohan said, finishing his thoughts out loud. "Here's your chance, attack me!"

Anger welled up inside Gohan, he screamed as he launched himself at his Dark Self. Dark Gohan made no move to block as Gohan punched him in the stomach. The sound of the impact reverberated across the darkness, returning with an eerie after effect. Dark Gohan was sent sprawling to the ground, but that's when something strange happened. The moment Gohan's fist connected, he felt pain erupt in his own stomach and he also fell to the ground. Dark Gohan got up first, a thin trail of blood seeped from his mouth.

"Love hurts, huh?"

Gohan got up slowly, clutching his stomach. Dark Gohan blurred into action. He elbowed Gohan on the side of his face and kicked him in the stomach. As Gohan lurched forward, Dark Gohan brought his fists down on the back of his neck. Gohan's faced smashed into the ground, but he caught himself and flipped away from a knee strike that would've snapped his spine. 

"Here's another interesting little fact," Dark Gohan stated as he stood up. "I can hurt you no problem, you hurt me…you hurt yourself!"

Gohan raised his arms just in time to catch Dark Gohan's kick and he threw his enemy at the darkness. He heard the sound of rock crumbling as his back exploded in pain. "How the hell can I win this," he asked himself out loud.

He leapt out of the way as a beam of energy shot out from the darkness. Dark Gohan walked out into the light; his smile was gone, replaced by a look of pure hatred and determination. Gohan crouched in a defensive stance, ready for the next attack. Dark Gohan screamed as he flexed his muscles. His aura flared to life destroying the rock around him. Gohan clenched his teeth and clenched his fists, preparing for the worst. He didn't have long to wait. Dark Gohan leapt at him and brought his hands up to his side. The blue light of the Kamehameha Wave flared to life. Gohan took to the air as his dark self released the attack. The ground below him disintegrated and the explosion sent out shards of rock out in all directions. He met Dark Gohan in the air and was on the defensive as he blocked a flurry of punches and kicks. How can this be, he asked himself. He's stronger than I am!

Dark Gohan screamed, bringing his right arm behind him and charging it with ki. He punched forward, but Gohan's arms were raised to block it. Dark Gohan's ki-charge exploded on impact. Still pressing, he kicked from the side into the smoke. His leg went clean through, hitting nothing. The smoke dissipated and Gohan was nowhere to be found. He looked around and stretched his senses, but he couldn't find any trace of him. "Where are you?" he growled.

"Right here!"

Dark Gohan was caught unaware as Gohan blurred in behind him and wrapped his arms around his from underneath and held him tight from the back of his neck. He flew straight up, intent on impaling his dark self on the jutting rock from the ceiling. Dark Gohan strained and screamed, right before impact using his power to stop the forward momentum. Gohan was forced to let him go as his dark self increased his power. Flying backward, he smashed the back of his head into Gohan's causing him to stagger. Dark Gohan turned and kicked Gohan into the ceiling. Grabbing his legs he ripped Gohan out of the rock and threw him down to the ground. Gohan caught himself in mid-air, but the momentum carried him down anyway. He raised his barrier just in time to intercept another Kamehameha Wave. The barrier began to buckle as Dark Gohan poured more energy into the attack. Gohan's arms strained as he tried to fight back the wave. Both Gohan's screamed as they put all they had into their respective attacks and defenses. The explosion lit up the entire cavern for a few seconds before dying down. When the smoke cleared, the two Gohan's were breathing heavily and regarded each other. 

"You don't stand a chance," Dark Gohan said gruffly, "you can't beat yourself."

Anger welled up deep in Gohan and he levitated up to be across from his darker self. "Watch me," he said as he attacked.

He flew straight at Dark Gohan, looking like he was going to punch him. Dark Gohan didn't raise a finger to defend against it. As he brought his fist forward, he changed tactics and sent an energy blast point-blank into his face! Dark Gohan was flung into the ceiling while Gohan felt the pain of his own attack and spiraled to the floor. Moments passed, but they seemed like hours. Gohan strained to get up, but it was slow going. As he got up to his knees he felt the presence of his dark self next to him. "Nice try," he commented, "but you'll have to do better than that!"

He kicked Gohan in the ribs, sending him sprawling across the floor. Again, Dark Gohan waited for him to get up. He looked at Gohan and saw the anger burning in his eyes. "That's it," dark Gohan exclaimed, "get angry! Be furious!" He walked over to where Gohan struggled to stand. "Show me what you got!"

Gohan obliged him by powering up to his max. His aura scorched around him as he screamed, letting his anger and rage take complete control of him. He lashed out at his dark self, with all the fury he had!

Dark Gohan caught the punch easily. He smiled at a shocked Gohan. "Good, very good! Keep it up, Gohan. Make me stronger!" He kicked Gohan in the face, flinging him across the ground. "I want more," Dark Gohan cried in near ecstasy, "Give me more!"

Gohan wiped the blood from his mouth as his body convulsed from the pain and rage. He no longer understood what his enemy said; he had found a primal place inside himself that he barely tapped into throughout his life. He'd lost that connection to himself that dealt with rational thought. Now he was a pure animal, guided on instinct and rage. Gone was the pain that he felt, replaced by an all-consuming need to destroy his foe. His ki reacted to his emotions, flaring and spiking as he stood up. 

Videl opened her eyes slowly expecting the next attack, but it never came. Her body screamed in pain, but she forced it to do her bidding. She raised her head and looked up at Gohan. His face was a mixture of rage and confusion, and his eyes were no longer fixed on her. She could feel the disturbance in his ki, and she thought she could feel two distinct versions of his ki emanating from inside him. Sweat poured down his face as she felt glimpses of the conflict that must be occurring deep within him. Painfully, she got up to one knee and grasped his leg for support. She felt an explosion of pain in her side as she lost her breath. Her mind went back to her basic anatomy class in school and teased her about what damage was done inside of her, but she blocked it out. She tugged on him to get herself fully upright. She looked deep into his eyes, but his expression stared off into the distance. Using a portion of the last of her ki, she let it wash over her. She put her hand against his chest and felt his furiously pounding heart. I can feel you struggling, she thought. Fight it! Come back to me, Gohan! You can do it!

More pain assaulted her, but she fought against it. She felt her knees buckle under her, but Gohan's weight kept her from falling. He ki waned, and threatened to drop completely. Focusing on herself, she forced her ki to stabilize. She felt his body tense, but thankfully he still wasn't focused on her. Now that she held a physical connection to his being she did feel two distinct versions of his ki. The one she focused on was the one she knew. She could tell that it was Gohan, but his ki waned and spiked chaotically. The other steadily grew stronger. His body twitched in conjunction to the unseen battle he was dealing with. Gathering the last of her strength and energy, she powered up. The pure silver aura encompassed her and Gohan, and she tried pushing herself beyond her limits, not even thinking about the consequences of her actions.

She heard and felt the snap shudder through her body as her ki spiked beyond what she could handle. Concentrating on the pulse of his beating heart, she focused all of her power into her hand, and shot it into him. She felt her very being hop on the energy wave and leave her body, going directly into his. The shell of her body slumped against his as she entered his heart. This was a one way trip, she knew. She didn't have the energy for the return, and she didn't have a clue on how long she could stay. This was her final gamble; everything rested on her shoulders now!

Vegeta felt her power as he flew toward them. Realizing he didn't have a moment to spare, he blurred to super speed. He appeared behind her and assessed the situation. Gohan was in some kind of trance, and that's when he felt it. There were two ki signatures coming from his body, each registering as Gohan! He zeroed in and felt another ki presence, it was very faint, but he was sure it was Videl's. "Baka!" he cried out loud. "What have you done?"

He already surmised that attacking Gohan would indeed put him out of action, but now she was in harms way, inside his mind. He forced himself to look away from her injuries, as it made him angrier than he already was. Her ki was gone from her body, leaving an empty husk. Since there wasn't a soul in her body, it had started to die. Coupled with the injuries she had already sustained, her body didn't have much time before entropy overtook it. He didn't quite understand how she did it, but she somehow found a way to reach Gohan. He could tell the amount of energy that was needed for such a feat was staggering, and judging by the damage that she took, she probably didn't have enough to get back. That made him even angrier. He was at about half strength, and his arm would be out of commission until he got his hands on Dende or a senzu bean. He looked over at the others who were still engaged with Leviathan and Gotenks. They were holding their own, surprisingly, but that wouldn't last forever.

He looked down at Videl and then back to the others. Anger and rage burned inside him as he saw Piccolo get thrown like a rag doll into The Grand Kai. He turned back to the lifeless body of Videl. 

"Fuck!"

He immediately went super saiyan and put his good hand on her arm. His golden aura surrounded her and suffused her body with enough of his life energy to keep it stable. "So, this is your last bet," he wondered out loud. He powered up higher. "Well, you'd better hurry, because I can't keep this up forever! And don't think I won't hesitate to go in there after you!"

Next Chapter: Gohan and Videl reunite again, but is it enough to beat Dark Gohan? Stay tuned for the conclusion, My Worst Enemy – Part II: Resolution!


	18. My Worst Enemy Part II Resolution

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My Worst Enemy – Part II: Resolution

Videl streaked through the darkness until she heard Gohan's primal roar. Using a bit of her ki, she changed directions and flew towards his cry. She landed in darkness and was forced to walk the rest of the way. It wasn't hard to find, as the sounds of battle carried for long distances. As she stepped out of the darkness, she saw two Gohans locked in furious combat! The one she knew as her Gohan bore a wild expression and was attacking the other Gohan more like an animal than a human being, or a saiyan. The other one taunted and goaded the feral Gohan on, making him attack clumsily but powerfully. The sinister Gohan easily dodged the on-coming attacks and backhanded him across the floor. Gohan bounced and skidded to a halt, only to flip back to his feet and started the reckless attack routine over again. This time, Dark Gohan caught him in mid air and flipped him over his shoulders. Gohan landed like a cat and sprung backward, flipped in the air, and landed a crushing right across Dark Gohan's face! Videl did a double take as she saw both combatants register the damage. Her Gohan fell to the ground, while the other slammed into the rocky wall. She took a chance and ran toward her fallen Gohan. When she reached him, she took an involuntary step back as his feral gaze met hers. She almost screamed in fright as he leapt at her suddenly. He grasped her in his arms as the place where they stood exploded into dust!

"Who's that you got there?" Dark Gohan asked in a conversational tone. "Have we gained an audience?"

Videl was surprised at Gohan's gentleness as he laid her down on the floor. She looked up into his eyes, and, for a moment, she thought she saw a flash of recognition, but then it was gone. He turned away from her to face his other self. She reached her hand out to him, to touch him, to reassure him, but she recoiled as he tensed. He blurred away from her and reappeared in front of Dark Gohan, punching and kicking furiously at his enemy. Gohan landed another hit; the shockwave from the impact knocked them both off their feet. 

Videl couldn't believe it, but Dark Gohan's ki increased every time he was hit! He was slowly sapping the strength of her Gohan, adding it to his own. She stretched out her senses, using more of her ki. She was able to make out the vague outlines of their individual ki signatures, each pulsing with their heartbeats. Then she saw what was going on. Gohan's rage and feral nature made his aura jagged and chaotic, while the other one was a steady pulse. She could just make out Dark Gohan's aura attacking her Gohan's, and that's how he was getting his power. He was using Gohan's own emotions against him, getting him so angry as to make him regress to a primal state, and somehow feeding off that raw emotion. Simply put, the angrier her Gohan got, the stronger the other one became!

There was the sound of thunder, followed by a bright flash of light. Gohan landed with a sickening thud right next to Videl. Dark Gohan retracted his fist and his stare bore down on her. He smiled an evil smile. "Well, well! I didn't expect you back here so soon. How's it going out there, Videl?"

He started walking toward her, his aura flared with violence. Gohan stirred beside her, and she went to his side. "Gohan, snap out of it!"

"Wha…what?" His eyes focused on her, "Videl! You're back!"

"Look," she said glancing fearfully at Dark Gohan who stepped closer, "we don't have much time. I think I found a way for you to get out of here!"

She helped him to his feet while Dark Gohan advanced ever closer. "He keeps getting stronger," Gohan exclaimed. "No matter what I do…"

"He's feeding off of your negative emotions," she explained, cutting him off. "That's what's giving him his energy. So, what ever you do, don't get angry!"

"But I can't hit him! Every time I do, I take the damage as well."

"We'll find another way," she said reassuringly.

"Are you two done talking yet?" Dark Gohan asked.

Videl turned to him. "Why are you doing this? How can you have so much hate inside you?"

Dark Gohan's smile faded. "I exist because he exists," he nodded to Gohan. "I am alive in every living thing. I am a part of the raw emotional states that make up a whole. I've been neglected for too long, and now I was given a chance to be finally free! You," he said, pointing an accusing finger at Gohan, "were always so innocent, so loving! You let your goodness take control of you. But I was always there, deep in your mind." He tapped the side of his head as he spoke. "You had to tap into me the first time you went super saiyan, remember? Anger. Hate. Those emotions are pure and made you stronger beyond your wildest imaginations! You were so close to reaching your true potential, but then you went soft! You allowed your goodness to take control of you again. You turned your back on me, and I was imprisoned once again. Then Cell came. You came to me again when you achieved second level. This time you embraced me." He clenched his fist and shook it. "Together we had the power to destroy Cell! And after, what thanks did I get? I was locked away again! Then you became something else. You achieved Mystic form, and no longer needed the raw emotions for your power. Here, in the depths of your mind, I languished. Forever cut off from the freedom that I so relished. Then I was given a chance. All I had to do was obey a few orders and I got my freedom. Now you want to take that away from me? I can't allow that to happen!"

He charged at them both with murder in his eyes. Gohan and Videl leapt out of the way just as Dark Gohan smashed through where they stood. Videl landed several feet away, her arms raised to defend herself. Gohan hovered in the air, ready for him. Dark Gohan leapt at Gohan, and with his enhanced strength and speed, put Gohan on the defensive. His arms and legs blocked the savage assault, and bruises formed where he was struck. Videl jumped and kicked Dark Gohan from behind. She flipped over his counter-kick, and kneed him right in the face. Gohan felt the damage that was done to Dark Gohan and sailed to the floor. Dark Gohan bounced against the wall and fell to the ground also. Videl ran over to Gohan, who was down to one knee.

"I'm sorry! I had to get him away from you!"

Gohan waved her off as he stood up. "Don't worry about it." He rubbed his forehead and smiled at her, "Nice hit!"

The ground exploded in front of them as Dark Gohan smashed through. Videl was knocked backward from an elbow to her stomach. She hurled backward and she struck the wall, but that wasn't the end of it. An energy ball followed her and struck her as she bounced off the wall. Gohan watched in horror as Videl landed in a heap. 

"Videl! No!"

Dark Gohan capitalized on Gohan's inattentiveness and blasted him from behind with a powerful ki blast. Gohan skidded on the ground and ended up lying next to Videl's still body. Weakly, he outstretched his arm toward her.

"Videl…can you…hear…me?"

She coughed and opened one eye. Whatever little clothing she had left was smoldering and smoking. She took his outstretched hand and smiled. Her ki wavered and she suddenly became transparent. Gohan felt how low her ki had fallen, but before he could say or do anything his back exploded in pain as Dark Gohan stomped down on him. Gohan screamed in agony and was sent sailing across the ground from a vicious kick. 

"Gohan!" Videl yelled weakly as she became substantial again. 

Dark Gohan looked at her with hatred. He grabbed her by the neck and raised her high in the air. "I'm sick and tired of your meddling!"

He squeezed, and Videl's face clenched in pain as she struggled in vain to break free from his deadly grip. He squeezed harder and smiled as he heard her grunt in pain. "How does it feel?" he asked. 

She strained against him, but her strength was fading. She kicked him over and over, but she didn't have the strength for it to have any effect. Dark Gohan's smile broadened, as her attacks against him became weaker and weaker. Finally, her hands dropped from his and her struggling ceased. Her eyes began to go wide and her skin started to turn blue. 

"Stop!" Gohan screamed as he barreled into his enemy from behind. The force of the tackle caused Dark Gohan to drop Videl, who rolled on the ground clutching her throat and gasping for breath.

The two Gohan's tumbled over and over each other on the ground. They grunted and strained against the other in an attempt to get through the other's defenses. Dark Gohan ended up on top of Gohan and had his hands around Gohan's throat.

"I'll kill you! Then I will be the only one who exists!" His eyes were crazed with rage. "Die!"

Gohan grunted and used his legs to flip Dark Gohan off of him. He rolled himself up to his feet and stood between Dark Gohan and Videl who was still gasping and coughing for air. Dark Gohan flipped himself up and wiped some shards of rock away from his face.

"You are only delaying your fate," Dark Gohan said in an emotionless tone. "I will not allow you to succeed."

"Bring it on," Gohan growled, feeling the anger rising within him. His aura flared to life and he crouched, ready for whatever his enemy had in store for him.

Dark Gohan powered up, but his energy had exceeded all that he had shown before. Gohan knew that he was going to die in the next few seconds, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. His enemy walked toward him with cold purpose and determination. He felt his own energy dropping and flowing into his evil self. He took a second to glance back at Videl, and she was up to one knee. Her eyes were closed in deep concentration and her body fluctuated from solid to transparent constantly. Left without options, he brought his hands to his side, and began gathering his energy for his last attack. "I love you, Videl," he whispered.

"I know." He heard her say gruffly. "And I love you. That's why I'm doing this for you, Gohan."

He looked back and saw her hands outstretched to him, her palms glowing with the energy of her ki. Her aura flared to life as she nearly disappeared.

"Don't do it, Videl! It will kill you!"

"If you aren't in my life," she said dreamily as she poured forth every last shred of her ki, "then this world doesn't have anything in it for me to live for."

"No!" Gohan's eyes widened in fear, "Please, don't do this!"

"It's my sacrifice to make," she said weakly. "Would you do any less?"

Dark Gohan came ever closer, the rocky ground exploded where his aura touched it. Gohan could barely see Videl; she was almost totally gone now. His eyes welled up with tears of anguish and rage. He had gathered the energy and the blue light of his Kamehameha flared to life. If I'm quick enough, he thought, I can hit him and get to Videl before she completes whatever she's doing! "KA…ME…"

Videl released her ki. A soft ray of shimmering sliver light emanated from her hands toward Gohan. The light enveloped him, suffusing him with the last of her power and…something else.

Vegeta strained against his task. He felt Videl's ki ebb and wane to dangerously low levels. "What are you doing?" he exclaimed angrily. "Oh no you don't!"

He powered up as high as he could go and forced his dead arm to work by sheer force of will alone. The pain was excruciating, but he welcomed it; it helped him to focus. His dead arm was now on Gohan's chest and he moved his good arm to Videl's chest, right over her heart. He concentrated on Videl's fading ki signature…

Dark Gohan advanced, not caring for the amount of destructive force Gohan was creating. He could easily dissipate the pitiful energy blast so he wasn't worried. If it made Gohan feel better to go out like this, then so be it. The end would be the same and he'd have complete control over the physical body as well as the mind.

"HA…ME…"

Videl felt the last of her ki exit her body as a deep coldness swept over her. She didn't care, her last thoughts were of Gohan and they would be for all eternity…

"Got you!"

Vegeta felt her faint ki signature a split second before it began to fade into nothingness. Throwing caution to the wind, he forced himself to go to second level, and using his increased energy, he shot an energy wave into Gohan. His target: Videl…

Videl was suddenly full of energy! The coldness disappeared, but so did she. She smiled, knowing full well that she had succeeded. When the odds were stacked against her, she had passed the test with flying colors. Wherever she was going now it didn't matter, Gohan had the power and strength to finish the job. She flew through a tunnel of blinding white, neither caring nor wondering where it led.

Gohan felt her presence disappear in a flash. The last of her energy remained surrounding him, a final testament of the love she had for him. As soon as he gathered the last bit of the energy for his attack, something happened. His being was suffused with the remainder of her strength, but also something else…something more. His body shuddered slightly as he felt every synapse and nerve-ending twinge with emotion. Tears streamed down his face as his emotions went haywire! Videl's love overwhelmed him, piercing deep into his heart. He felt a concussive force shoot through his body, and he was whole again…and more!

Dark Gohan felt a surge run through him at the same instant. His power disappeared in a flash and he fell to his knees in shock! He looked up at Gohan and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor! "What…what have you done?"

Gohan dropped the Kamehameha and looked back at Dark Gohan with the same emotionless stare he received earlier. "I understand now."

"What do you mean?" he hissed. "Understand what?"

Gohan took a step toward his evil counterpart. Suddenly afraid, Dark Gohan took a step back. "I know now. Videl knew it and it's because of her sacrifice and love I can now be free!"

"No! I won't let you! I can't let you take my freedom!" Gathering his strength, Dark Gohan charged. His fist connected across Gohan's face, but he didn't recoil, he didn't show any signs of damage; it was like nothing happened!

Gohan regarded his evil counterpart coolly. "You never were free," he explained. "You just had the illusion of control."

"Lies!" he screamed in rage as his aura flared.

Gohan powered up to prove it and the power of his aura knocked Dark Gohan off his feet. Dark Gohan stared at him from the floor, shocked and afraid. "It's you who's blind," Gohan continued, "you are the one that needs to come to terms with it. Don't you see? We are one and the same. Neither of us can exist without the other."

Dark Gohan backed away from the forceful presence of his enemy. "No! I can't…I won't accept this! I was promised control!"

Gohan shook his head. "You couldn't even if you wanted too. You need me just as I need you. I see that now. I've tried to suppress you because I was always afraid of letting myself go. Now I understand that I don't need to fear what you are. You are my personification of rage and anger. It's true that I have tried not to use you in the past, but I was afraid of myself. Well, not anymore."

Gohan clenched his fists as he powered up to his fullest. His aura flared higher, stripping away large chunks or rock and sending it all into the surrounding darkness.

"What are you doing?" Dark Gohan asked fearfully as he shielded his face from the flying rock.

Gohan didn't respond, he powered up more until all the rock was stripped away, leaving only himself, Dark Gohan, and pure darkness.

"The rock was a prison of sorts," Gohan said to a fearful Dark Gohan. "It's hard and durable; a perfect place to lock away things that I didn't want to deal with. No more, it ends now."

His evil persona backed away in abject terror, but there was no place for him to run to. "What…what are you going to do?"

Gohan's emotionless expression changed to one of rage. "This!"

He screamed. He screamed in loss and anger, in rage, in frustration, in sorrow. His aura began to change. His white aura changed to a bright golden color, like that when he used to go super saiyan. Dark Gohan looked on in utter disbelief. "That's…that's not…possible!"

Gohan's golden aura flared around him and his eyes took the same green color as a super saiyan too. His grim gaze met the fearful Dark Gohan's. "It's time," he said.

Before Dark Gohan could move, his counterpart was upon him. Gohan's arms wrapped around his and his golden aura enveloped him. Dark Gohan screamed in frustration, but there wasn't anything he could do. He faded into Gohan, his screams slowly faded as Gohan accepted the part of him that he tried to deny. Gohan, now whole, faded from the darkness himself.

Videl sailed through the tunnel from what seemed to be an eternity, until an even brighter light appeared in front of her. The moment she hit the zenith, everything disappeared.

She awoke in Vegeta's arms. Her eyes focused on his pissed off look, but she didn't care. She did it, and somehow, she was alive!

"That was very reckless," he admonished as he gently laid her on the ground.

"Vegeta," she started weakly.

Suddenly Gohan twitched. Without thinking, Vegeta elbowed him in the back of the head, knocking him out.

"Why…why did you…do…that?" she asked in alarm, but it hurt her too much to move.

"He caught me off guard," he replied, the edge in his voice told her how upset he was. Then she passed out.

Vegeta dropped from super saiyan form, nearly spent. I don't know if you succeeded or not, he thought to himself, but if you did, I'm sorry. Vegeta gathered her in his good arm and took to the air. Leviathan and Gotenks were still engaged with the others, but he was going to need Dende's help if they were to be successful. He turned back to Gohan's unconscious body. "I hope that when you are once again awake we will be fighting on the same side, for Videl's sake as well as my own."

Off Vegeta sped, toward the chaotic battleground where Dende now would hold the key to victory, or utter defeat.

Next Chapter: The Final Battle begins as the remaining Z Warriors enter the fortress to look for their friends!


	19. Friend vs Friend Part IV Hope Still Re...

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Friend vs. Friend Part IV: Hope Still Remains

The outlook didn't bode well for the remaining Z warriors. Gotenks kept Olibu and the Grand Kai busy while Piccolo and Pikkon had more than their hands full with the berserk Leviathan. Gotenks spewed forth his Kamikaze Ghosts, which chased the hapless fighters around before exploding. Luckily Grand Kai and Olibu escaped without any major damage. Leviathan tore through Piccolo and Pikkon with amazing speed, knocking both exhausted warriors across the broken landscape. He didn't relent, and picked up Pikkon by the leg and twirled him around before releasing him, sending him crashing into Piccolo's fallen body. 

Gotenks powered up a ki blast and fired it toward the bearded Kai, but he disappeared before impact. Gotenks looked up and saw the Kai's finger streak into view. Gotenks screamed in pain and clutched his eye where he was poked. Disoriented, he was unprepared for Olibu, who leg-sweeped him off his feet. The two fighters jumped on Gotenks, punching, kicking and gouging for all they were worth!

Piccolo gruffly threw Pikkon off of himself as a bolt of pure black energy streamed toward him. Pikkon landed hard, but was out of the way of the attack. Piccolo had barely enough time to flip over the attack and his back became scorched from the searing heat of the explosion. His breath escaped his lungs as Leviathan appeared in front of him and almost punched through his chest! Blood and spit spewed forth from his mouth as he collapsed. He raised his head and saw Leviathan's crushing fist towering above him, ready for the killing blow. Time appeared to slow down for Piccolo as he saw the fist come down. He closed his eyes and winced, cursing the fact that he'd be out of the battle and unable to help. Pikkon speared Leviathan from behind, knocking him off-balance and his fist crashed in the ground next to Piccolo. The concussive shockwave from the force of the blow still sent the Namek flying.

Gotenks screamed and energy shot forth from his body knocking the warriors off of him. Hundred of small balls of energy exploded in all directions from Gotenks. Olibu and The Grand Kai juked, dodged, and swatted them away, but Gotenks was standing now and their advantage was lost. Gotenks continued to scream and his aura exploded around him. His hair began to glow as the ground shook with his power. His hair grew long and his transformation was now complete. Super saiyan Gotenks was now third level and he smiled arrogantly at the two wide-eyed warriors who lined up against him.

Dende ran from his hiding spot and ducked as a huge chunk of rock sailed over his head. "I'm running out of places to hide," he cried aloud. 

His eyes darted frantically about in search of a new place of safety, but most of the terrain had been leveled from the constant fighting and the places that would afford modest protection was too close to the action for his liking. In a flash, the ground in front of him disintegrated, and he stopped himself just in time from falling into a massive dark crater that wasn't there a second ago. He leapt backward and he felt the heat above his antennae, as a stray ki blast sailed not even an inch above him! Dende had suppressed his power level in order to hide himself more from the combatants, but now things were getting too dangerous. He scanned the area and found a small outcropping of rocks away from both areas of the fighting and he ran toward it, silently uttering prayers for his continued safety.

"Blast you, Dende! Where are you," Vegeta growled as he scanned the ground looking for the young Namek. 

He searched out with his ki, but he came up with nothing. A cold feeling boiled in the pit of his stomach, offering opinions and ideas of the fate of the Namek to Vegeta. He glanced around looking for fallen bodies and noticed Tien's dead body near where The Grand Kai and Olibu were fighting Gotenks. 

"Shit! That's not good," he cursed. He searched around but couldn't find Dende's body or 18's for that matter.

Vegeta made sure to stay far away from the fighting, and his bad arm throbbed, sending spike of pain coursing through his body. Videl's breathing was shallow and sporadic at best, and if he didn't find Dende soon, she'd die from the injuries that she had already suffered. Vegeta didn't have the energy to give to her, as he had to struggle to keep his own ki stable. He hadn't felt this exhausted since Kid Buu beat his ass all over the place those few years ago! As if to drive the point home, he felt his ki fluctuate and he started to fall from the sky. He was able to collect himself and stabilize his ki before they hit the ground. He grunted in pain as Videl slipped from his grasp, and he caught her with his dead arm. Quickly scooping her up in his good arm he flew down to the ground.

"The things I have to do for you kids," he muttered under his breath.

Piccolo batted away the energy blast and sent it back to Leviathan, who took it full in the chest. The energy exploded, leaving Leviathan's chest smoking, but showing no other appreciable damage. Where the hell's Dende, he thought. Leviathan came at him; energy balls glowed in each of his hands. Piccolo stood his ground and charged up for his Special Beam Cannon. He fired it off before Leviathan got to him, striking the beast in his upper arm and drilled right through him, but he kept coming. Before Leviathan got to him he was engulfed in flames from Pikkon's Thunder Flash. Piccolo judged the trajectory and crouched down as Leviathan slowed, but still came at him. He waited until the monster was almost on top of him and the monster brought his hands down, intent on smashing Piccolo between his energy attacks. Piccolo leapt and kicked upward as Leviathan brought his hands down. He timed it perfectly as Leviathans hands came together first, but Piccolo wasn't there. Piccolo's foot connected on the monster's chin with such force that it knocked him back a step. Piccolo somersaulted in mid-air and pivoted his center of balance as he spun. He extended his other leg and kicked Leviathan on the side of his face. Shifting all of his weight he pivoted to the other side and connected with a kick on the other side of his face, sending Leviathan reeling. Pikkon caught the creature while he was flying, and tossed him up high into the sky. He spread his hands out and sent a massive ray of energy at Leviathan. The ray hit him on the way down and the sky lit up with the force of the explosion. Leviathan crashed to the ground in a heap, and got up to his knees painfully.

Gotenks ducked and blocked a flurry of kicks and punches from Olibu. The Grand Kai joined in too, attacking Gotenks from behind. The diminutive super saiyan tried to work his way around to get both combatants in front of him, but their years of training kept him off balance. Finally, Gotenks got under Olibu's defenses and backhanded him away. The Grand Kai capitalized and pounded Gotenks to the ground. Blurring, Grand Kai appeared above Gotenks and grabbed him by the hair and hoisted him up over his head and slammed him, drilling him deeper into the ground. Kai backed away, spending precious seconds to catch his breath.

Dende watched the battles from behind his new hiding spot. He watched as Gotenks got up and engaged The Grand Kai, who was very fatigued. Dende saw Olibu get into the mix, but Gotenks power held them at bay. He moved over to the other side of the outcropping and watched Piccolo and Pikkon gaining the upper hand against Leviathan. For the briefest second, he held out with the hope that they could actually beat him. However, his hopes were crushed as he saw Leviathan grab Piccolo and Pikkon in his hands and smashed them repeatedly into the ground. The battle was getting worse, and he forced himself to look away. His danger sense kicked in as he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the other side of the outcropping.

Vegeta landed next to a group of rocks and gently leaned Videl against them. Her ki was dangerously low, and she had trouble breathing. He opened her eyes and saw that they were heavily dilated. He gently ran his hand over her stomach and up her chest, using more of his depleted ki to discern the extent of her injuries. She tensed and moaned in pain as he came to a damp spot on the left side of her stomach. He withdrew his hand and blood covered it. It took Vegeta a full second to realize that the blood wasn't his.

"Damn! You stupid baka! Why didn't you tell me you were injured so bad?"

Dende heard Vegeta's outburst and immediately went around the outcropping. "Vegeta," he cried.

"Dende," he exclaimed back in shock. "Where were you? Never mind, Videl's dying!"

Dende's eyes widened as he looked over her injuries. It was bad, really bad! He turned to Vegeta, "Help me get her to the other side of the rocks, we'll have more protection there."

Vegeta nodded and picked her up in his good arm, paying careful attention not to aggravate the wound on her side. When they got around the rocks he laid her down gently on the ground. Dende took over and began examining Videl. Vegeta leaned against the rocks and watched the rest of the battle unfold before him. His saiyan instincts were at odds with his tempered nature. Even though he had a family, he still relished the thought of combat, and that fact was compounded as his son was brainwashed into working for the enemy, and his wife was a captive of that enemy. He clenched his good fist in frustration as he watched Leviathan stomp on Piccolo. His blood boiled with rage as Olibu took a ki blast point blank from Gotenks. He wanted to jump out there and help the others; he still had one good arm left! But he had used too much energy in the fight against Goku. And he was forced to use more to save Videl's life. He turned to Dende.

"Well? What's taking so long?"

Dende didn't look up at him; he was still deep in concentration.

"Hey!"

Dende shook, surprised from Vegeta's outburst, but he quickly collected himself. He shook his head at Vegeta's insistent stare. "It's bad Vegeta, I don't know if…"

"Don't say it," he warned, glaring at Dende. "Do what you can. If you need more energy, I will supply it."

Dende didn't like the look Vegeta was giving him, but he had to face reality. "It's not that, it's that her injuries are so severe I don't know if my…"

Vegeta cut him off with a raised clenched fist. "Get started Dende," his voice was emotionless and yet still carried the threat that was Vegeta behind it.

Dende knew that tone and he knew that he was treading on dangerous ground. Even injured as Vegeta was, he would make short work of himself if he didn't comply with his wishes. Sighing, he gathered his healing power into his hands and placed them against her stomach. Videl grimaced as he began the healing process.

"She's strong for a human," Vegeta remarked, the threatening tone in his voice was gone, it almost sounded reassuring to Dende. "Possibly the strongest there is." Vegeta turned away from Dende and leaned back against the rocks. He watched the battles for a few moments before continuing, "If things were different, she would've made a powerful saiyan warrior. Who knows, she might have even unlocked the secret of becoming a super saiyan by this time in her life."

Dende said nothing, concentrating all of his formidable healing powers to the task at hand. Vegeta stared out across the ruined landscape, no longer a participant in the battle for Earth, but now just a spectator. He watched the battles as they happened, unable to do anything about it.

Piccolo almost fainted from the force of the blow from Leviathan. The behemoth kept coming back, no matter how many times he and Pikkon took him out. Leviathan lifted him above his head and threw him on top of Pikkon. The two warriors tumbled to the ground in a heap. Pikkon was unconscious, and Piccolo was swiftly following in Pikkon's footsteps. He struggled to get up, but ever muscle in his body rebelled against him. He heard Leviathan growl behind him that turned into a yell. He felt a massive surge of energy growing behind him. He guessed that Leviathan was creating a large energy ball and his suspicions were confirmed as he saw the reflection of the light off of Pikkon's body. Forcing his body to move, he grabbed Pikkon and blurred into super speed. They reappeared high above Leviathan, but the force of the large explosion nearly knocked them from the sky! 

"Comin' through!"

Piccolo dodged as The Grand Kai sped past him; Gotenks hot on his heels. Olibu followed, but he looked almost as beat up as Pikkon did.

"Wha…what the hell?" Pikkon said as he regained consciousness.

"This isn't working," Piccolo stated gruffly. "We're going to have to try a new tactic."

"I'm all ears," Pikkon said, shaking his head clear of the cobwebs.

Piccolo turned his head and stared at Pikkon, scowling. Pikkon saw his gaze and met it.

"What?"

The old Kai shifted this way and that, but Gotenks matched him move for move. Turning around suddenly, The Grand Kai sent a large green ball of energy at Gotenks. Gotenks was coming at him too fast to dodge the attack and took it face first. The explosion did something unexpected; it caused Goten and Trunks to separate. The saiyan kids stared at The Grand Kai in astonishment. He returned the look, as he wasn't expecting that. Then he remembered the time they could spend fused and realized that their time was up. The old Kai smiled as he blurred above Goten and elbowed him into unconsciousness. Olibu appeared next and did the same to Trunks. The children sailed to the ground, out of the fight.

"Now comes the hard part," The Grand Kai said to Olibu. They both turned their eyes to the ground where Leviathan stood…waiting for them.

"What a stroke of luck!"

"It's not over by any means yet, Pikkon. We still got Leviathan to deal with."

"My head's clear enough for another round, how about you?"

Piccolo clenched his fists, forcing the soreness and agony out of his mind. "We've got to take him down hard and fast."

Olibu and The Grand Kai flew over to them. "Good work," Piccolo stated. "But our troubles are far from over."

"Where's the other little green dude? I could use a bit of that healing touch he's got."

"I don't know, Grand Kai," Piccolo replied. He focused his ki, searching for Dende's signature. "I found him. He's…"

His eyes widened in horror! "No! Come on! We got to help him! Follow me…hurry!"

Vegeta cursed under his breath. Leviathan was coming this way! He turned back to look at Dende, who was sweating against the strain of his task. "How much longer?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Dende strained.

"Well, we're going to have company here very soon." 

Vegeta had been gathering his strength during the time Dende was healing Videl. He surmised that he could go super saiyan for a few minutes but that was it. Then he would be totally helpless, and he knew that he couldn't generate enough energy to beat back Leviathan in super saiyan form. If he were at full power, it wouldn't be a problem thanks to his year of training in a day in the Room of Spirit and Time. But now, in his diminished state he wouldn't last two seconds against him.

"How is she doing?" he called back.

"It's still not good, Vegeta! Her wounds aren't closing!"

"Damn! How long?"

"Maybe half an hour, probably more. I'm having problems just keeping her stable!"

Vegeta sighed. Half an hour! His eyes met Leviathan's who still advanced. He looked back at Videl. Her face was contorted in pain, and she twitched and convulsed as Dende tried to keep her alive. He looked back out across the ruined terrain. "Do the best you can, Dende. I'll try to buy you some time."

Dende nodded, but didn't say anything. Vegeta stepped out from the outcropping, and began walking toward Leviathan. 

Leviathan grinned through broken teeth. His one good eye gleamed as he slowly made his way to the weaklings he picked up who were hiding. Now the one called Vegeta stepped out to challenge him. "How long do you think you're gonna last, saiyan?" he taunted. Vegeta didn't reply but steadily advanced. His face was grim which pleased the behemoth. He didn't have any hope, and Leviathan's specialty was crushing hope, and then heads and bodies.

Piccolo and the others blurred into existence next to Vegeta. Leviathan stopped his advance and scowled. Vegeta turned toward the others. "Videl's dying. He's doing his best to heal her, but he needs time."

"We'll give him as much time as he needs," Pikkon said as he glared at Leviathan. "I'm not through with that monster yet!"

"Go back to Videl," Piccolo commanded to Vegeta, "you've done your part. We'll do ours."

Vegeta nodded, "Thanks."

"I'll go with him," The Grand Kai stated. "I've got some techniques of my own that should help Dende with his healing."

Piccolo nodded and turned to Leviathan. "All right! Let's do this!"

Vegeta and The Grand Kai watched as Piccolo, Pikkon and Olibu charged Leviathan. "Let's go, old man. Videl's waiting." The Grand Kai nodded and they turned and walked back to the outcropping of rocks.

The three warriors engaged Leviathan with punches, kicks, and ki blasts. The creature blocked the attacks and sent in a few strikes of his own, but the others dodged and blocked. Olibu grabbed the creature's legs as Pikkon struck Leviathan headfirst in the chest like a torpedo. As Leviathan fell back, Piccolo grabbed the sides of his face and charged his hands with electricity. Olibu let go of his legs and flipped out of the way as Leviathan crashed to the ground. Pikkon hovered above him and sent his Thunder-Flash Attack at him. The creature was engulfed in fire as Piccolo used his Special Beam Cannon again and again at the bulk of the monster. Leviathan screams were louder than the sounds of the explosions. Olibu followed up with a massive ki attack of his own blowing up the ground, sending shards of fused glass and debris out everywhere.

Vegeta and the Grand Kai walked around the outcropping of rocks where Dende was still hard at work healing Videl. Vegeta leaned against the rocks looking on with concern. The Grand Kai appraised Dende's work and then cracked his knuckles. "Ok, let's see what I can do to help."

He kneeled on the other side of Videl and closed his eyes as he put his hands over her. His hands glowed with a soft golden light, and he got to work. Vegeta watched as Videl's moans of pain stopped and he heard the faint noises as her bones began mending back to their rightful places. He watched in amazement as the bruises and cuts on her body began to disappear.

The smoke cleared and Leviathan was on his knees. The warriors pressed their attacks and came at him at the same time. With great speed, Leviathan leapt into the air dodging their combined attacks. Ki blasts shot out from his hands that hit the warriors, tossing them around like rag dolls. He kept up the pressure as he continued to fire ki blasts, keeping the warriors pinned down. He blurred next to Olibu and kicked him across the terrain. He blurred again and appeared next to Piccolo, but the Namek was ready for him. Leviathan's punch nearly broke through his chest, but Leviathan had to deal with a large ki blast that was sent right into his face. Pikkon blurred next to Olibu and helped him up as Piccolo held his ground against the massive monster. 

"I got an idea," he said to Olibu as he helped him up. "But, it will mean we'll be out of the fight."

"I'm listening," Olibu grunted as he wiped blood away from his mouth.

"Here's my plan…"

Piccolo kept his feet under him as he skidded backward from the force of Leviathan's latest blow. He waited until Leviathan came at him, and when he did, he ducked under Leviathan's crushing fist and grabbed his over-extended arm. Piccolo dropped, and pulled, using all of his strength and weight to launch Leviathan across the ground. Piccolo took his time as he got up, and he was breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from his brow and he felt his regenerative abilities give out. It was too much for him to take. He could feel his ki beginning to drop as fatigue overwhelmed him. He fell back to his knees and his arms were starting to fail supporting his own weight. He heard rocks moving and he had enough strength to lift his head up and look. Leviathan was up now, and he was coming toward him. Piccolo tried to stand, but he didn't have the strength. He saw the evil smile on Leviathan's face as he came up to him.

"All done, huh? Pity, I was just getting my second wind."

Piccolo forced himself to stand. "I'm…not through…yet!"

Leviathan smiled showing his broken teeth. "Good. I haven't had this much fun in a while. I'd prefer that my quarry fight back, I found it makes them feel better before they die."

"Shut up, and let's go," Piccolo growled as he got in a defensive stance.

Vegeta clenched his good fist as we watched the stare-down between Piccolo and Leviathan. It was maddening to just stand around and not be involved in the fight! He forced himself to look away from the fight, and he appraised the job that Dende and The Grand Kai were doing on Videl. He had to give the two of them credit, most of her injuries had disappeared and she was breathing normally.

"How much longer?"

"She's comin' along fine," The Grand Kai replied. "It won't be too much longer."

"Good."

He was still angry with her for putting herself in such jeopardy, but he couldn't blame her for trying. If Bulma were in the same position as Gohan, he'd probably do the same thing. He couldn't help but be impressed at her drive and tenacity. She was a lot like Goku in that respect, she never wanted to quit, no matter how high the odds were stacked against her. She was still reckless though, reminding him of himself years earlier. Well, he thought, having the qualities of both Goku and myself can make for a great warrior. I just hope you live long enough to reach your full potential.

Suddenly Videl's eyes fluttered open, and she bolted upright.

"Gohan!"

"Rest easy, girl," The Grand Kai said reassuringly.

"Where is he?" she pressed. "I have to get to him!"

She stood up and began to walk around the rock, but Vegeta stood in her way.

"You're not fully healed yet," Dende said angrily. "We need to finish what we were doing."

"I'm fine," she said, anger burning in her face. "I've never felt better. Now where's Gohan?"

"Listen to the Namek," Vegeta said softly. "We have to stick to the plan."

Videl glared at him, but his stare told her that there would be no further arguments. Reluctantly, she agreed. Dende got back to healing her as The Grand Kai stood up and walked over to Vegeta.

"You don't look so good yourself," he said. "Come here and I'll do what I can."

"Be quick about it," Vegeta snapped.

Piccolo stood his ground against his towering opponent. He didn't have the strength to move, even if he wanted to. Leviathan raised his fists and sent them down at the hapless Namek. Before he could connect, Piccolo disappeared. Leviathan looked around, but couldn't find him anywhere.

Piccolo, Olibu and Pikkon appeared high above the monster. Piccolo nodded his thanks to the others.

"We have a plan," Olibu said. Piccolo didn't say anything, waiting for them to continue.

"Do your Special Beam Cannon," Pikkon explained, "while Olibu and I give you all of our energy. It should be enough to take him out."

Piccolo looked over at the others. "You realize that will send you back to the Otherworld. You'll be out of the fight."

They nodded. "It's the only chance we got," Olibu replied.

Piccolo stared at them for a few seconds before nodding his head. "Okay, let's do it." He stared back down at Leviathan who was staring right back at him now. "It will take me some time to charge up since I'm so weak right now."

"Don't worry about it," Pikkon said. "Our energy should be enough to help you out."

The trio floated down to the ground, directly across from Leviathan. The space between them wasn't very far, but Leviathan made no movement.

"Ready to meet your fates? I tire of these games."

Both Pikkon and Olibu put a hand on Piccolo's shoulders. They closed their eyes and let their ki flow from them into Piccolo. He felt their life essences energize him and he smiled at the creature. ""We're not through yet!"

Leviathan gave him a quizzical look as Piccolo brought his hand up to his face, charging up for his attack.

"What are you doing?" Leviathan asked.

Piccolo's smile never left as he replied, "This!"

Piccolo's mass suddenly increased, powered by the other two warriors. His eyes glowed with the energy that he was given as the beginnings of his attack flickered to life on his fingertips.

Leviathan realizing what was happening and took a step back in shock. Clenching his teeth and fists, he charged. I'm only going to get one chance at this, he thought. He screamed as his aura powered up around him.

"SPECIAL…."

The trio got closer and closer in Leviathan's vision. He thought he saw Olibu disappear, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

"BEAM…"

He was almost upon them and then he saw Pikkon disappear as well.

"CANNON!"

Piccolo brought his finger forth, and pointed at the attacking creature. A beam as large as he was spewed forth and the follow up beam that wrapped around it drilled into the ground as it followed the straight beam on its course to destruction. Leviathan was too late to attack, but he did get his arms up across his face in time to try and dissipate the attack. The combined beams hit him square, and knocked him back as he tried to use his strength and force of will to counter it. Piccolo grunted as he put all he had into the attack, knocking back Leviathan even further. Both warriors grunted and strained each pressing to gain the advantage. Leviathan's massive arms struggled to block the attack, but it kept coming. Piccolo forced the beam to increase in intensity, adding a portion of his life force to it. 

"Stupid Namek! I…can't…be…"

The ground below him buckled, causing him to lose his footing. A chain reaction started as his arms drooped out of place by not even half an inch. It was just enough for the Special Beam Cannon to drill itself through and strike the monster in the chest. Leviathan screamed as the energy exploded, causing earthquakes to rumble out with him at the center. Piccolo went flying as the force of the blast knocked him off his feet. He landed hard as unconsciousness overtook him. When the smoke cleared, Leviathan stood there, breathing heavily.

"I…I told you…*cough*…I…can't be…destroyed!"

Then he fell to the ground with a heavy thud. He was as unmoving as Piccolo.

"That'll do it," The Grand Kai stated as he took his hands off Vegeta's arm.

Vegeta flexed his formerly bad arm and was pleased with the results. His energy was nearly restored, but that was good enough for him. By the time they found the others he'd be up to full strength.

"Finished," Dende sighed as he took his hands away from Videl. He looked very tired, but none the worse for wear.

"Ready?" Vegeta asked as he looked at Videl.

"We have to find Gohan first," she said.

Vegeta nodded, "Very well."

The pair stretched out and took off back to where Gohan's body was.

"We'll help the others and get to ya as soon as we can," the bearded Kai yelled out as they left. "C'mon Dende, let's go."

The young Namek tiredly got to his feet and followed The Grand Kai out.

Vegeta and Videl landed next to Gohan's unconscious body. Videl put her hand to his forehead and closed her eyes as she concentrated. A smile came to her lips. "He's back," she exclaimed. "I'm reading his ki signature and he's back to normal!"

"Good," Vegeta said back. "With luck, Dende and The Grand Kai will get here soon and heal him. But we don't have time to wait, we need to go."

"I told you I could do it," she remarked to him, her smile broadening. "There's some hope left after all."

"Humph! Stay focused Videl. It's going to get a lot harder from here on out, as we still haven't found out who's behind all this. If someone is able to command a creature like Leviathan, he must be strong indeed. Stay on your toes."

She nodded and they took off toward the entrance of the fortress.

Dalron stared at the viewscreen. They were so close to being defeated and yet they were able to bring a small victory from it. He still had faith in the controlling poison, and even if it didn't work he would deal with that eventuality as it came. He got up from his chair, dropping the popcorn bag as popcorn spilled everywhere.

"Get my sword," he commanded. "Post guards at every entry and exit! Prepare for combat!"

The underlings flayed about, getting his commands done. Another underling brought Dalron's sword to him, bowed, and went back to work. Dalron stared hard at the viewscreen as it focused in on Vegeta's image. Rage burned within him as his face came into full view. He drew his sword, and it gleamed in the artificial light of the command center. "Give them a clear path to the Detention Center but don't make it look too easy! I will be waiting for them there!" His aura flared to life and he disappeared, leaving his underlings to do his bidding.

Dalron reappeared in the large hall where the Detention Center was located. Alarm klaxons blared as he felt the fortress rumble and shudder as sounds of combat echoed throughout the place. They would be here soon, he thought. Suddenly he felt the presence of two warriors appear behind him. It was Goku and his son Gohan. Goku let go of Gohan and lowered his hand from his forehead. Dalron used his ki to search out theirs. Both warriors had the same stare of hate and rage and their ki's appeared the same. It seemed that the woman was wrong, he thought as he smiled. Gohan was still fully under his control as was the older saiyan. "You two will be with me when the enemy arrives. When they do, we will kill them, is that understood?"

"Yes, Master," both replied in unison.

Dalron stretched his senses and felt Leviathan's aura stir. He sent a mental command to him to hurry up and get here and leave the others to the robots. "Go get Leviathan," he commanded to Goku. 

He nodded and used his Instant Transmission technique and barely a second later Goku reappeared with Leviathan.

"I had a clear shot on the Namek! He was down for the count!"

Dalron was used to his friend's rages. He raised his hands and waived off the mad creature. "Be still, my friend. Stay here with us and you'll get your chance. They'll be here soon."

Leviathan could barely contain his rage, but the look from Dalron quieted him. He had his sword drawn at his side and Leviathan hadn't seen that in years. He took his place behind his master with Goku and Gohan at either side of him and they waited…

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A/N: Sorry for the length of the chapter, but I couldn't help it. The story's shaping up for its conclusion, which is about 5 or 6 chapters away at this point. I hope everyone's enjoyed it so far! If you have any questions or comments send me an e-mail or a review. If you have any ideas as well on what you'd like to see, tell me. I might be able to find some room for your suggestions.

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Plug: Do you like Lion King? If you do, I've found a great story titled "**The Dark Mile**" by **Whitestar14**. Here's the story ID: **1157706**. She's also got some DBZ stories as well. They're a bit different, but pretty good. You can find a link to her under my Favorite Authors, check it out; it's a really great story!

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Next Chapter: Vegeta and Videl infiltrate the fortress in search of their friends. By the time they reach the Detention Center Goku, Gohan, and Leviathan will be there waiting for them. Dalron, the mastermind behind it all, will be there too and everything will be explained, leaving Vegeta at a crossroads. Can our two heroes muster the strength and resolve to defeat their enemies and save their friends? Oh yeah, and I'm throwing in some more plot twists that I think you'll enjoy. Find out what happens next chapter! See you then!


	20. Into the Lions Den

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Into the Lion's Den

As soon as Videl and Vegeta entered the fortress they were assaulted by wave upon wave of combat robots. Thanks to Dende and The Grand Kai, the pair was healed for the most part, and the robots didn't strain them enough for them to use their full powers. The entrance was soon filled with the shattered remains of what was left of the robots. Videl had taken the hint from Vegeta and hadn't used any of her ki in the battle. The battle took a bit longer to finish, but they had won out in the end. Vegeta grabbed a disembodied robotic arm that still clung to his foot. He threw it away in disgust.

"That wasn't so bad," she remarked as she surveyed their handiwork.

"These tin cans mean nothing," he snorted as he kicked some robotic remains out of his way. "Our true enemy lies beyond those doors," he said as he indicated a large set of steel double-doors at the far end of the room.

They walked down the center of the room until they got to the large doors. Videl tapped it a few times. It gave off a soft metallic ring after each tap. "Sounds pretty solid, Vegeta. Do you want me blast through it," she asked as she raised her hands.

"Hold on," he commanded as he looked at the large blinking panel next to it. 

The writing on the panel wasn't from Earth, yet it was strangely familiar to him, but he couldn't place from where at that moment. Putting aside his thoughts he focused his attention on the buttons below the chaotically blinking lights. He rubbed his chin in thought.

"Vegeta," Videl pressed.

"Be silent! I'm thinking," he admonished.

Videl clamped her mouth shut. She'd almost forgotten whom she was with. She kept her hands raised in case he gave her the go ahead. Seconds passed and when nothing happened she turned to look at Vegeta, who was still pondering over the panel.

"What's taking so long?"

Vegeta looked at her and frowned. "Will you shut up!"

His eyes went back to the panel and he studied the layout for a few more seconds. With blinding speed, he began pressing buttons. The lights on the panel changed colors from red to blue to green. The pattern changed on the panel until all of the lights were blinking the same blue color. There was a sound of something heavy falling away, and the doors opened.

"How…" she began, astonished.

Vegeta's expression didn't change. "You don't live with a technical genius and not pick up a few things here and there."

He walked on to the corridor in silence. Videl collected herself and followed. More attack robots were there to meet them, but Vegeta had dispatched them all by the time Videl caught up to him. The corridor ended, splitting their choices of where to go. "Should we split up," Videl asked.

Vegeta shook his head, "No, we need to stick together. We'll try the left and if that's not the right way we'll double back and try the right. Stay alert, we don't know what to expect."

Videl nodded, raising her ki a bit to enhance her defenses. She stayed a few yards behind him as he manipulated another panel by the closed door. The door slid open, revealing near darkness. The pair entered the room and the door slid shut behind them with a hiss. The room was barely lit, the only lit was given off by the red alarm lights which didn't help much. They were surprised that they weren't attacked, in fact, the room appeared to be empty. They searched around and found the exit, but nothing else. The panel to open the door however was smashed. Vegeta nodded to Videl, and she stepped up and raised her hands. Vegeta powered up his ki and crouched, ready to strike. Videl fired two ki blasts that demolished the door and whatever was immediately behind it. Vegeta leaped through the rubble, using the smoke to mask his presence. Videl was hot on his heels.

Energy bolts tore through the heavy smoke, revealing the presence of attack robots. Videl and Vegeta jumped out of the smoke at opposite ends, engaging the robots before they could regroup. These robots were heavily armored, unlike the robots they had met before and their weapons were stronger as well. Vegeta and Videl were fast enough to dodge the energy blasts and when they got to the robots their arms morphed from energy cannons into wickedly sharp, long blades. 

Videl ducked under a wicked slash and kick upward, striking the robots head attachment and ripping it clear off. She whirled around and leapfrogged over the next two robots, negating their attacks. Vegeta punched through a robot's arm, shattering the blade and the body chassis as his fist continued through. He swung his fist, using the robot as a battering ram, knocking two other robots across the floor. Videl jumped backward as she extended her arms. She clotheslined the two robots that were behind her. She flipped, completing a backward somersault and punched through their head attachments before they even reached the floor. More robots came through from the exits on the other side of the room, several morphed their arms into blades while the others took positions to fire with their cannons.

"We don't have time for this," Vegeta spat.

He brought his hands together in front of him and a blue energy ball sailed forth at the robots. Several robots dove back into the next room, trying to avoid getting incinerated. The others were not so fortunate. The explosion sheared away the walls surrounding the exit and robotic parts scattered everywhere. Videl had to cover her eyes to avoid flying shrapnel, but she otherwise escaped unharmed. As her eyes adjusted to the smoke and haziness in the room she saw Vegeta step over the broken forms of the robots. She looked around herself and was astonished at the amount of damage he had caused. He hasn't even changed to super saiyan yet, she thought, at this pace we should find the others in no time!

The next room was more like a hallway, and several robot bodies littered the ground as proof of Vegeta's attack. One robot lingered in the corner, fluids seeped out of its broken body and electrical discharges made it flop around on the floor erratically. Vegeta ended it's mechanical suffering by crushing the thing with his boot. She watched as he looked around the room, but his eyes were closed. He must be stretching out his senses, she thought. His eyes opened and he walked over to the far end of the wall.

"They're this way," he said.

Videl walked up next to him and stared at the wall. After a few seconds she turned to him. "Do you think there's a secret tunnel around here or something?"

He smiled at her. "Oh, there will be a tunnel here all right, but it won't be so secret! Now, stand back!"

She did as she was commanded as Vegeta brought his hands behind him, almost like how Goku and Gohan do to fire their Kamehameha Waves. Light erupted in his hands and the metal floor under him began to warp and twist, creating eerie noises that sounded more like screaming.

"GALICK GUN!"

His attack shot forth and went through the metal wall like it was butter. The entire complex shuddered as Vegeta screamed, pouring forth more power. Videl had to raise her ki to form a protective barrier around herself from the intense heat and energy. Vegeta didn't seem to mind the conditions of the room, or what he was doing to the mountain as a whole. Finally, he stopped his attack. The place stopped shaking and Videl stepped out from the other room. She breathed in sharply in shock! There was a massive hole where the wall once stood, but the intense heat that radiated from it told her that it was still dangerous.

"Hmm," Vegeta muttered in thought, "I guess I overdid it. It's too hot in there for us to go through."

Videl regained her composure and stepped forward. "Let me try something," she offered.

Vegeta backed away allowing her to get close to the blasted tunnel. The heat was very oppressive and she was forced to raise her ki a bit higher to protect herself. She looked into the tunnel and noticed several pools of liquid hot rock, but the tunnel went for so long that she couldn't see the other side. She gave a sidelong glance at Vegeta, "So much for saving our powers."

"Humph. This way is quicker in the long run. This way we won't be wasting our energy against those tin cans." His scowl spoke volumes to her of his mood, and she didn't press the point.

She raised her hands up and closed her eyes. "I saw Gohan do this once," she explained to Vegeta, "he taught it to me."

She raised her ki and a swirling vortex of air formed in front of her. She allowed more ki to flow into it, making the vortex bigger. The vortex morphed into the shape of a ball, and she lowered her hands. The ball sailed forth into the tunnel. Vegeta looked on behind her, trying to see what she was doing. "Brace yourself," she warned as she dug her feet into the ground.

Vegeta did the same right before gale force winds exploded from the tunnel. The wind was cold and strong, and the two warriors strained to keep their footing. After a few minutes, the winds died down, revealing a clear path through the tunnel. Videl looked at her hands in amazement, "When he taught me that, I wasn't strong enough to do it right. I wished he was here with us so he could see this."

Vegeta got over his reaction and gave her an approving nod, "He would be proud. Hopefully we'll be done with this before he wakes up. Let's go."

Piccolo awoke to see Dende and The Grand Kai staring down at him. "You okay?"

Piccolo nodded, "Yeah, thanks Dende, and you Grand Kai."

"Don't mention it," Grand Kai replied as he helped him to his feet. He looked around but didn't see Pikkon or Olibu around. "Where's Pikkon and Olibu?"

Piccolo stared at the old man a long time before answering. "They gave their energy to my attack so I could beat Leviathan." He turned to where Leviathan's body used to be, "Although I don't think it was enough."

"Hey, you're still alive, green man," The Grand Kai exclaimed, patting him on the back, "and that's a victory for us!"

The two Nameks and the old Kai searched around the landscape looking for the others, and after only finding Trunks and Goten, became a little worried.

"I can't even sense Vegeta and Videl," Piccolo remarked. "I hope they're all right."

"We'll be after 'em in a bit," The Grand Kai said. He looked down to the unconscious bodies of Trunks and Goten, "What are we gonna do with the kids?"

Piccolo walked over to them and crossed his arms. "The poison needs to be purged from their bodies or else they'll attack us when they wake up." 

He knelt down in between the saiyan children and put a hand on their foreheads. He closed his eyes and the outline of his body began to glow a bright white. "This could take some time," he said. Dende and The Grand Kai looked on as Piccolo went to work.

The tunnel was still hot, but not so hot as to be life threatening. Videl walked behind him and the two walked in silence. Her gaze continually went to his face. What's troubling him, she thought to herself. Gathering courage she decided to ask him. She stopped walking.

"Vegeta?"

It appeared to her that he didn't hear her as he kept on walking. He took a few paces before he realized that she had stopped. He turned around to face her. "Why have you stopped? We must hurry if we are to rescue the others!"

She flinched at his tone, but she had to press the issue. "Vegeta, something's bothering you, I can feel it. What's wrong?"

He stared at her for a long moment; his scowl never left his face. Then his demeanor changed. He looked…sorrowful.

"The technology of this place reminds me…of my past. A past I thought I had left behind me."

Videl stood there waiting for the explanation to continue. She had heard the stories of his conquests of course, but mostly from Gohan or Trunks, never from the saiyan himself. Vegeta saw the expectant look on her face and his scowl returned, as his answer didn't seem to satisfy her.

"Long ago, back before the planet Vegeta was destroyed, we saiyans worked for an intergalactic thug called Freeza. I'm sure the others have told you about him." She nodded and he continued. "Freeza controlled our entire race and forced us to do his bidding. Being a warrior race we excelled at combat, and our orders were always to subjugate whole star systems and 'sanitize' the planets. 'Sanitize' was the word Freeza used, in actuality we committed planetary genocide."

He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as the memories flowed through him. He stared down at the ground somehow unable to meet Videl's gaze, but he continued. "Once all inhabitable planets in a system were cleansed thoroughly, Freeza took over and sold off each planet to the highest bidder. He allowed us to live only because we did his dirty work!" He kicked loose some rocks in rising anger. "I didn't know it then, but Freeza had destroyed planet Vegeta while my team and I were away on a mission." He took a deep breath before continuing, clearly trying to suppress his anger. "Back then I relished in what I did, and I did it better than any other. After all, I was a Super Elite! I was the greatest warrior of our race! I never backed down from a challenge, and I was never defeated!" The rocks at his feet began to lift up in response to his rising anger and his rising ki.

Videl saw the effect the memories were having on him. She walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder, "Hey, it's okay. That was a long time ago." She tried to sound as reassuring as she could even though she didn't feel it.

He roughly shoved her hand away. "No, it's not okay! Only years later did I realize what I had done. During my first fight with Buu, I came to terms with the atrocities that I had committed. At least, I thought I had." He threw his hands up in the air. "Of all people! It had to be him!" He lowered his arms and collected himself. "Kakarot, the one everyone else calls Goku, showed me the true meaning of sacrifice and what being a real warrior is all about. His selflessness and courage beyond all impossible odds showed me the true reasons why he is better than me. I had always let my anger dictate my actions, and in doing so, I became blind to the truth. I had been blind for many years. Kakarot had shown me a better way, a way that was alien to me. But it gave me strength and power I never could have attained with my previous way of thinking. Now do you understand?"

Videl nodded, taken aback by his uncharacteristic outburst. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say. Even if she could say something, what would she say? This was way beyond her experience!

"Anyway," he said, apparently not finished, "during one such mission for Freeza years ago, we were given orders to enslave a particular star system called Nista. They were a technologically advanced race, but weak in the arts of combat. They were crushed under our heels easily enough, and we forced them to re-engineer their technology to the ways of war. There was one problem though, a slave race will always try to find ways to gain their freedom. A resistance group formed among the populace and was gaining support with the others as they sabotaged technology plants and depot centers. Word got back to Freeza and he knew that if word spread to the other worlds under his control, more rebellions would surface. He decided to make an example of the Nistan people to show the other races enslaved to him that he would not tolerate such acts. My team of soldiers was ordered to the planet to crush the rebellion. We knew the drill; we had done it before with outstanding success. By the time we got there, we were in the middle of a war zone! It wasn't just a resistance cell or faction, the entire population had risen up against their oppressors. That's when we took over. My team and I easily defeated the best of their warriors. I'll have to admit they were more organized than we had thought, and we underestimated their strength in numbers. But they were still no match for the strength of the saiyan race! We executed our orders to the letter. Many a valiant freedom fighter died that day, but all was for naught as we gained the upper hand."

His eyes closed so he could see the memory clearly in his mind. "The rebellion had been crushed, and the leaders were executed. All was well until we learned of a splinter group that still fought on. My team and I headed there to engage the enemy with orders to destroy ever last one of them. The group holed themselves up in an abandoned starport; at least that was the information we had. The port wasn't as abandoned as we were led to believe. The rebels had an armed starship loaded for bare, and were piling refugees into it as fast as they could go. We landed and a brutal fight broke out. The Nistans were not skilled in the arts of battle, but had a determined energy that made them somewhat formidable. There was one such warrior who got the better of me in combat. His woman, a known rebel cell leader was killed during the fight and that was when he struck. He gripped a sword and moved with surprising speed! He hit me and I carry the scar of that battle to this day. He took down several of my team before he was overwhelmed, and I was about to end his misery before I got a call from Freeza. Unbeknownst to my team or me he had followed us and decided that their technology wasn't worth the headache. He decided to personally destroy their world and broadcast its destruction to the worlds that were subjugated under him. I was one of the last people to set foot on that place before its core exploded, destroying it utterly."

Vegeta stopped and looked up at Videl, gauging her reaction to his story. Her face was impassive but her eyes could not hide the horror and revulsion that she felt. 

"The star ship was able to take off and leave orbit before the planet exploded, and it was too fast for our ships to catch up to it. So, they were forgotten, and another planet became space dust on the whims of Freeza. But the Nistans are forgotten no longer, because those entry panels and robots are their technology."

Videl took a step back in shock! She didn't know what to say. Vegeta understood her reaction; she now knew the full weight of the situation. "The robots used to be worker drones but they have been heavily modified. The morphing technology gave it away. I had my suspicions until they confirmed it. Who ever is behind this has a large grudge against my kind and me. I'm not one to make him wait long. Let's go."

He walked past her and continued down the tunnel. He made maybe twenty feet before stopping. "Are you coming," he called out.

"How many," she asked barely audible.

He heard her question and the weight behind it. His back was still toward her, but his scowl didn't disappear, "It was one planet. I've ceased counting over the years. It doesn't make it any easier if you must know." His voice lost the edge that it had earlier, "Come Videl, we must hurry if we are to rescue our friends."

She began to pick up pace behind him but she was silent for the rest of the way, lost in her own thoughts.

"How much longer," The Grand Kai asked.

"As long as it takes," Piccolo replied. "I have to make sure all of the poison is out of their bodies."

His white aura was slowly being replaced by black as he forced out the poison from the unconscious kids. 

"Would I be able to help," Dende asked.

Piccolo shook his head, "No. You would be able to get the poison out of their system but it would affect you as well. I am immune to it so it has no effect of me."

"Man! We're missin' out on all the action," The Grand Kai complained.

"Be still, Grand Kai," Piccolo stated, "This shouldn't take much longer."

Vegeta and Videl finally found the exit of their makeshift tunnel. The room was nearly the size of a football stadium and the ceiling was about half as high. There were many entrances/exits throughout the room and several overhangs that would afford a viewer greater visibility to the entire room. The pair stepped into the room and looked around, but they didn't see any signs of the combat robots.

"I don't like this," Videl said. "It doesn't feel right."

Vegeta nodded, he didn't like it either. "Be wary of an ambush. Pay special attention to the higher places."

The pair slowly stepped out farther into the room, looking high and low for likely signs of an ambush. By the time they got to the center of the room they had found the Detention Center.

"They're behind those doors, I can feel them," he said pointing to a large set of metal doors at the other end of the room. "Quick, let's go!"

Videl nodded and they ran to the doors. Videl could pick up on their ki signature now and with renewed urgency she ran faster. When they got halfway there, they stopped dead in their tracks. Four new ki signatures flared to life behind them, three were familiar, and one was not. They turned as Goku, Gohan and Leviathan appeared! Videl's eyes widened in horror and disbelief as her eyes met Gohan's. He didn't change! Somehow his ki signature had reverted back to his evil side. Her legs buckled under her and she fell to her knees in despair. She had failed after all; her Gohan was nowhere to be found in his body!

Vegeta quickly got in front of her and crouched in a defensive position. "What's the matter with you, woman? Get up and power up!"

She didn't hear him; she was lost in the throes of despair and sorrow. Cursing to himself, Vegeta powered up to super saiyan form.

Leviathan smiled, displaying his broken teeth and he pointed directly at Vegeta. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Fuck!" He chanced to look back at Videl who was gripped in shock. "Snap out of it Videl! We have company!"

Leviathan took a step forward, and both Gohan and Goku took positions to the left and right of the monster. Their expressions were just as hate-filled and evil as the last time. This is not good, he thought to himself as he sized up his opponents. Gohan did appear changed somewhat, but his ki radiated the same as Kakarot's. Things didn't look well in deed!

"Prince Vegeta," a deep voice bellowed throughout the room.

Vegeta didn't move, nor did he take his eyes off of the three warriors in front of him. There was a blurring motion in front of Leviathan and then the true enemy appeared.

He was tall, slender of build, but he carried himself with confidence. His angelic wings were swept back behind him and he held a sword in his hand. His facial features were angular and fair, as far as humans would think, Vegeta thought. His eyes blazed with a hatred born of watching his people die; it was a look Vegeta knew well.

"Heir to the Throne of Planet Vegeta," the figure continued, "a place of dust and rock. Super Elite of the Saiyan Warriors, and Freeza's Lapdog!"

Vegeta clenched his fists in anger, but he made no other movements.

"Lest I forget," he said bringing his hand up to his chin, "Destroyer of Worlds," his tone became conversational, "And Widow Maker. Did I leave anything out?"

Vegeta's eyes were locked with the figure's. The figure smiled. "Oh yes, I did. Let's see, what was that planet's name? Hmm, I can't seem to remember, oh wait! That's it! Arlia! They were suffering under an oppressive civil war, and you and your teammate Nappa decided to help out the oppressed people by overthrowing the tyrant in charge, freeing the rightful leader and reunited him with his beautiful wife. So we should add Freedom Fighter and Protector of the Downtrodden to the list. But you didn't stop there, did you?"

Seconds passed, and if the figure expected Vegeta to answer he was a bit disappointed when he didn't.

"Not very talkative are we? Very well, then I shall continue this amusing little story. After you saved the populace of Arlia what did you do? You blew up the entire planet in one stroke!" The figure began clapping his hands in mock appreciation. "That was good work there, so I guess we should also add Bug Exterminator!"

"Enough!"

The figure dropped his hand from his chin and his smile disappeared. "But I'm not finished yet. At that time you were still on your way to this lovely planet for the first time. But I'd like to take stroll with you down memory lane for a bit. Let's go even further back."

The figure began pacing back and forth in front of Gohan and then over to Goku and then back again. "Before any of that happened you came to the Planet Nista." The figure noted the twitch above Vegeta's right eye as he said the name of his doomed planet.

"I trust you remember it?"

Vegeta nodded, "And I know why you are here. You want revenge for what I did to your planet. Your fight is with me, not them," he glanced over at the others.

The figure turned to look at his saiyan thralls. "Them? Oh, you misunderstand me, Prince. It is true that I lust for a certain measure of…justice, but that's not all."

"What is it then?"

The figure pointed an accusing finger at Vegeta and for a second he lost his composure. "You are the one I want most of all for what you did! You more than anyone else, deserve exactly what you did to her!"

Now it was Vegeta's turn to lose his composure as he realized just whom he was dealing with. "You," he exclaimed in shock. "I should have known!"

The figure took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair to regain his composure. "Yes," he said, nodding once. "Now you do."

Videl had regained herself by that point in the discussion and got back on her feet. Even though she was in shock at the time she had heard the entire conversation. She stepped out from behind Vegeta and stood next to him. "Vegeta," she started in a quavering voice, "Is what he said true?"

Vegeta scowled and didn't take his eyes off of the figure, "Yes. Every word of it."

She stepped back from him, unable to come to grips with the knowledge that she had gained. Tears fell from her cheeks as she forced herself to look away from him. Her eyes met Gohan's and that didn't help either.

"Let her go, along with the others," he commanded, his voice had turned soft and lost the edge that was normally there. "Give them their freedom and…"

"Not yet," the figure declared, cutting him off. "First, I'm going to let my friends here beat you like you and your underlings did to me and my people. Then if I'm in the mood, I'll consider your request when you crawl up to me and beg!"

Vegeta tensed as the figure spread his wings and flew up to a chair on one of the overhangs. Leviathan walked forward, powering himself up. "Videl! Hurry and get the others! Go!"

But Videl didn't move she had a look of shock on her face and she stared toward where Goku and Gohan were. Vegeta was confused until he heard words that chilled him to the bone.

"FUUUU…ZON…HA!"

"No…" Vegeta breathed before everything went white…

Next Chapter: Enter Gokhan! Things are looking pretty bad, huh?


	21. Gokhan: FatherSon Fusion

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Gokhan: Father and Son Fusion

The saiyan figure's aura blazed. The transformation of Goku and Gohan was complete. Vegeta and Videl were rooted at the spot staring in abject horror at the extremely powerful warrior staring at them from across the room.

Leviathan charged at Vegeta but at the last second changed tactics and went for Videl. Her guard wasn't up as she was still in a state of shock from watching the saiyans fuse. His fist streamed toward her face with enough power behind it to rip her head clean off! Instead of connecting, Vegeta blurred in front of her and blocked the strike with his forearm at the last possible second. The shockwave of the hit knocked her off her feet, but it did succeed in snapping her out of the catatonic state. 

Leviathan was impressed at the saiyan prince's strength; he was much more powerful than the last time they had met. For a brief second the two combatants strained against the other in a contest of strength, until Leviathan was forced to back off because he couldn't make any ground against Vegeta.

"Impressive," Leviathan muttered.

Vegeta chanced a look back at Videl, "Snap out of it, woman!"

Leviathan attacked kicking toward Vegeta's midsection, thinking the saiyan wouldn't be ready for him. He was astonished when he realized that Vegeta caught his kick, and he still hadn't turned around yet! Vegeta shoved the behemoth away as he raised his ki higher.

Videl stood up in the same defensive position that Vegeta was in. "I'm okay now."

"About time!"

Her eyes fell upon Leviathan who attacked again. She leaped away and landed on the other side of Vegeta as the monster crashed down where she once stood. "What's the plan?"

Vegeta turned toward the fused father/son, "Good question." He looked up at the Nistan who watched casually from his high perch, "I'll try to buy you some time. Go get the others and find the dragonballs!"

She nodded and blurred to super speed. Vegeta blurred after her a fraction of a second later and intercepted Leviathan. He roundhouse kicked the monster sending him flying across the room.

Leviathan skidded to a halt at the feet of the fused saiyan. He rubbed his throbbing chin and looked up at him, "What're you doing standing around? Let's go!"

Piccolo's aura was now all black, and Goten's was replaced with pure white. Dende picked up Goten and began healing him. Piccolo concentrated all his energy on Trunks, whose aura was still dark.

"This won't take much longer," Piccolo said through the strain.

Vegeta had powered up to second level and engaged Leviathan in combat. In the stage he was in Leviathan was a bit stronger, but he was still faster than the monster. Vegeta easily blocked and dodged the attacks, but he didn't fight back, he was too intent on the fused father/son combo who still stood there away from the battle. What is he waiting for, Vegeta thought as his forearm blocked Leviathan's elbow.

Videl tried opening the large doors with a ki blast and got a bolt of electricity that ran through her for her efforts. After she got up she inspected the doors with her ki and noticed that the doors were linked with energy. There was a panel next to the door, but she didn't know anything about pushing buttons! She considered blowing the panel away, but that might complicate matters further. She looked back at Vegeta and flinched as Leviathan landed a hard right across Vegeta's face. He staggered back, but he did not fall. Leviathan came at Vegeta again, and this time Vegeta didn't put up his defenses! Leviathan savagely kicked and punched him all around the floor; she could hear the wicked laughter of the winged alien as he looked on. She was tempted to rush back to Vegeta's aid, but the presence of her friends just beyond the door stopped her. She had to figure out a way to get through the door! The panel beeped and glowed beside the doors, almost as if it was taunting her.

"Is that all you got," Vegeta coughed, spitting out blood. "Hell, Krillin could do better than that!"

His answer came as his stomach exploded in pain. Leviathan withdrew his massive fist and grabbed Vegeta by the hair as he doubled over. He clenched his other hand into a fist and brought it up past his huge head. Leviathan grinned evilly, "I'm just getting started!" His fist came forward and smashed into Vegeta's face and Leviathan released his other hand as he connected, sending Vegeta sprawling across the floor.

Leviathan turned toward Gokhan who smiled and nodded appreciatively. Leviathan then turned his attention to Videl who was pushing buttons on the control panel to the doors of the detention center. Her back was toward him paying full attention to the control panel. Silently he blurred to super speed, intent on impaling her with his fist. 

Vegeta barreled into him, causing them to come out of super speed. Vegeta snapped his head back, which connected on the chin of Leviathan. He sent a flurry of punches into the creature's stomach keeping him off balance. "Stay away from her," he grunted, "we're not finished yet!"

Dalron watched the battle from his high perch and was impressed at Vegeta's strength. He was much stronger and faster than back when he was on New Namek. His power exceeded that of Leviathan's! But then again, so did Gokhan. Leviathan was having his way with him until he turned his attention to the girl. Vegeta's spirit wasn't in the battle until then and now he was all over Leviathan like a rabid dog. But that was Leviathan's weakness, a short attention span coupled with a foe that was stronger than he was. Granted it didn't happen often, but when it did Leviathan made mistakes. 

He turned to Gokhan who stood there watching the fight. Dalron probed the mind(s) of the warrior and found that he/them was giving Leviathan a crack at the enemy. The poison must be weakening, he thought, the concept of honorable combat has reentered their minds. It would be prudent to dispose of them before they become too much trouble soon.

The panel exploded after her continued attempts to break the entry code. It must've been some kind of failsafe, she thought to herself, now what am I going to do? She punched the door in frustration and a jarring bolt of electricity streamed through her. She got up slowly and cursed herself for being so stupid. Suddenly, her ki caught a sense of danger and she leapt high into the air on reflex. Leviathan and Vegeta tumbled over each other below her, punching, kicking and biting the other. Powering up, she fired a ki blast directly at the back of Leviathan who happened to roll up on top of Vegeta. The blast hit him dead-on, but he didn't flinch. His hands were wrapped around Vegeta's neck, squeezing the air out of his lungs. Leviathan turned to face Videl and smiled at her through splintered teeth.

Videl felt the anger rising within her and she powered up higher and blurred. She appeared next to Leviathan and her powerful kick sent the creature off of Vegeta. She hovered down to Vegeta who was rubbing his throat.

"Thanks," he said hoarsely.

"The door's shot! The control panel blew up and there's some kind of protection on the doors which makes it impossible to blast through."

"Damn," he cursed as he got up.

"What do we do now," she asked, glancing fearfully from Leviathan, who was getting up himself, and at Gokhan who just stood there.

"I don't know, but we'd better think of something quick!"

Piccolo released Trunks as his own aura was consumed in black. Screaming, he raised his hands up to the air and released the evil that had consumed the saiyan children. A stream of black liquid shot from his palms and coalesced into a ball. The ball churned upon itself as it got bigger as Piccolo expelled all of the poison from his system. The huge ball hung in the air, trapped by Piccolo's ki. The Grand Kai and Piccolo fired ki blasts into the heart of the ball. The ball disintegrated into nothingness from the power of their attacks, leaving no trace of its existence.

"It is done," Piccolo remarked gruffly. He looked over at Dende who had just finished healing Goten; "After Trunks is healed we'll go after the others."

"All right!" The Grand Kai exclaimed as he jumped in excitement.

Gokhan blurred in front of Leviathan and stood in a defensive posture. Vegeta's scowl darkened while Videl took an involuntary step back. Leviathan growled as he got up and was about to rush forward and crush the uppity saiyan prince, but Gokhan's raised arm blocked him.

"It's my turn," Gokhan said as his eyes bored into Vegeta.

"Fine," Leviathan spat, "I'll take on the woman."

They rushed forth eager to enter combat with their waiting foes.

Videl blocked Leviathan's rushing attack with raised forearms, but the impact knocked her back. She held her footing and was ready for Leviathan's next attack. To her he was very fast and strong, but Vegeta had taught her well. Her mind was ablaze with defensive routines and attack stances and Leviathan was following every one of them. Its as if Vegeta knew Leviathan's attack routine inside and out, because he was attacking the exact way as Vegeta had in the Room of Spirit and Time. Since she had trained in that environment for a year and had been up against the same attacks they were fairly easy to defend against. She knew the routine so well in fact that her arms and legs were already in position before the next attack came! Leviathan was getting angrier as the battle progressed. He was stronger and faster than her by far, however she was matching him move for move. She was even able to exploit several openings in his defenses and send in a few attacks here and there. Videl increased her ki as the battle waged on, trying to keep the massive monster in check. Vegeta had trained her well; the analytical part of her mind had completely taken over. Her mind raced as fast as she did creating counters to Leviathan's attacks and attacking when she could, the result was a stalemate.

Vegeta held his ki in check as well as his fear. In the blink of an eye, he considered going to super saiyan level three, but decided against it, as the strain still fatigued him over time and he would need all of his energy if they were to survive this encounter. Gokhan rushed Vegeta and he didn't even think that third level wouldn't be enough against such a force as the fused saiyans, especially if they could attain third level. Vegeta hunkered down but leapt backward at the last minute as Gokhan's fist came crashing down. His fist smashed through the ground, shattering where Vegeta once stood, and Gokhan didn't miss a beat, he leapt after Vegeta a split second later and engaged him with a flurry of punches and kicks. Vegeta was amazed by the uncanny resemblance of both father and son in the fused warrior. The fused warrior could easily have been mistaken for either Goku or Gohan; their facial features were all present. Vegeta's arms blocked the powerful punches and he dodged and moved avoiding the deadly knee and foot strikes of the fused warrior. The father/son fusion fought with their combined combat experience as well, melding their fighting techniques into one cohesive whole. Vegeta was purely on the defensive, as he didn't have time to react to anything else.

Videl jumped over Leviathan's crushing arm and grabbed his arm with her hands. Using the momentum of her jump and her own strength, she shifted her body and pulled herself toward him. She brought her knees up around his still outstretched arm and vaulted over it, streaking toward his face. Her knee's connected with his jaw, and she felt a grim satisfaction as she heard the sounds of several of his teeth shattering from the impact of her attack. The force of the blow slowed his forward momentum and she capitalized by spinning in mid-air and kicking the monster across the face, causing him to lose his balance. She screamed as she brought her hands forward and sent a large silver ki blast point blank into Leviathan's face. She blurred while Leviathan was still reeling from her previous attack and reappeared next to his massive legs. She clenched her hands together and used them as a battering ram, thundering into his right kneecap. Leviathan crashed to the ground as she leapt to the air and shouted as she sent a volley of energy balls that rained down on the fallen creature. Her vision became blurry from the smoke and debris that were caused by the explosions of her attacks, but she kept up the pressure.

Vegeta was reeling from a wicked uppercut from Gokhan. He didn't have time to react as he sensed Gokhan appear above him. All the air in his lungs was forcibly expelled as a knee exploded into his chest. A forearm followed, sending Vegeta skidding across the floor. Vegeta got to his knees slowly and breathed in painful gasps of air as his peripheral vision saw the fused warrior slowly levitate to the floor about twenty feet away from him. 

"You're…strong," he gasped as he struggled to his feet.

Gokhan smiled and waited for Vegeta to get up. "Why are you holding back? That's not the Vegeta I used to know."

Vegeta felt his face redden as his anger rose. Screaming, he charged his enemy, his fist outstretched. Gokhan's smile never left his face, but he didn't raise his arms in defense. Vegeta powered up his ki and poured forth his anger and rage into his fist. There was a loud thunderclap of sound as his fist connected across Gokhan's face. Vegeta knew that hurt him and swiveled around in the air, shifting his weight and balance and kicked Gokhan in the small of the back as he sailed past him. Vegeta landed in a defensive position about ten feet away and watched Gokhan stumble as he tried to absorb the brunt of Vegeta's attacks. He could've done better, Vegeta thought to himself. 

"That's more like it," Gokhan grunted in obvious pain as he regained his footing and turned to Vegeta. Vegeta noted a small trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth where his fist connected, and a deep bruise was forming around the affected area, showing the power of Vegeta's strength.

"Patronize me again, baka! I dare you," Vegeta growled dangerously. His aura flickered wit the violence and anger he was feeling.

Gokhan stretched his neck from side to side making popping noises. "You can still do better than that, Vegeta." He got in a defensive position, "Show me what you got!"

It took all of Vegeta's willpower to keep his anger in check. He powered up as high as he could go without going to third level and charged the smiling warrior.

Videl was forced to stop her assault on Leviathan as his fist exploded through the smoke and haze that surrounded her. She ducked under his fist in the nick of time and kicked into the smoke, trying to hit him in the stomach. She was caught by surprise as Leviathan grabbed her extended foot and drew her closer to him. She struggled to get out of his grip, but he was too strong for her. His other arm reached around her back and pulled her into his chest. Her screams of pain and agony were music to his ears as he squeezed tighter, slowly crushing the life out of her. 

"What 'cha gonna do now, little girl?" he taunted. "You got nowhere to run now!"

Videl screamed as she struggled to free herself from his death grip. He squeezed tighter and she could feel the strain against her ribcage. The monster's laughter filled her ears and he squeezed tighter still. 

Piccolo was the first to feel it. His eyes widened in horror at the realization of where the energy signature was coming from.

"No," he breathed, barely a whisper.

"What is it," The Grand Kai asked.

"Can't you feel it?" He gestured towards the mountain, "Stretch out your senses!"

The old Kai did as directed and his heart fell down to the pit of his stomach. "No way! That's insane! It's…"

"Goku and Gohan," Piccolo finished with finality. So their gamble had failed after all, he thought to himself.

"Finished," Dende exclaimed tiredly as Trunks rubbed his eyes.

"Good. Trunks! Goten! You two need to hurry up and fuse, and go to third level super saiyan; we're going to need all the power that you can spare!"

Goten and Trunks looked at Piccolo and saw the serious look in his face. The nodded as one and began the fusion dance.

"Grand Kai."

"Yo!"

"When the boys are finished lead them into the fortress to help the others. Dende and I will be with you as soon as we are done healing Krillin."

The Grand Kai saluted, "Yes sir, Piccolo, sir!"

Goten and Trunks finished their dance and Gotenks was born again, this time fighting once again on the side of the Light.

Gokhan staggered back rocked by another blow from Vegeta. The saiyan prince didn't disappoint, as he came at Gokhan with ferocity that only he could deliver. Gokhan blocked several blows but allowed others to follow through. The hits were painful and he was surprised that they did as much damage as they did. But Gokhan was still getting used to his new body and he wanted to test out his limits until he felt the need to get any stronger. Gokhan grunted as he doubled over from Vegeta's punch to his stomach. His feet actually lifted off the ground as Vegeta followed through with a vicious kick to the face! Gokhan landed scores of yards away from his combatant.

"Never underestimate me," Vegeta spat crouching down defensively.

Gokhan got up and rubbed his chin. There was a loud popping sound as he snapped his jaw back into place. He opened his mouth wide several times; making sure everything was back in place. He tasted his own blood, and it felt good! He looked back at Vegeta and smiled. "That's the spirit Vegeta, I knew you had it in you! Now lets take it to the next level!"

Vegeta was expecting this, but he wasn't looking forward to it. Gokhan's fists clenched and raised his ki. Loose pieces of the floor began to rise up from the ambient ki around Gokhan. The aura of mystic power flared to life around Gokhan, and he raised his ki higher. The floor began to shake…

Dalron watched the display from his perch, somewhat annoyed that the fight was dragging on for so long. From his chair he received reports from his underlings declaring that they were in position and read for his command to attack. He told them to wait and to be ready for another assault from the main entrance. Several hundred soldiers and scores of robots would slow down the second force, but more than likely would not stop them. The others were stationed around hidden exits ready to flood the room and engage their hated enemies at his command. Most of his crew waited their entire lives for this opportunity and he was not the type of person to disappoint them.

He kept a close eye on the fight between Leviathan and the woman, and was impressed at her tenacity. Her tactics were flawless against him; it was as if she was his sparring partner for ages. She somehow knew every trick in his book and had devised a way to counter them. Her power was impressive for such a tiny vessel and according to his preliminary scans of the planet the humans were not known to be strong fighters. Krillin, the three-eyed warrior and the others who were imprisoned were the exceptions to the general rule. Dalron flinched as he watched Videl's kick nearly take his friend's head clean off! Her ki registered an aura of desperation around her and something else that was directed to the fused saiyan warrior Gokhan. His intelligence knew that the female prisoner Chi-Chi was the wife of Goku, so it wasn't hard to come to the conclusion that her feelings extended to his son. That left an opportunity to exploit if things went astray from his wishes. It always paid to have a backup plan, especially when saiyans were involved.

He turned his attention back to Gokhan and Vegeta. He had trouble seeing because of Videl's flurry of energy attacks, but he was able to make out most of their combat. After a little while the dust and smoke cleared and his attention was directed back toward the woman and his friend. Leviathan had her in his patented bearhug, and he was crushing the life out of her. So sad, he thought to himself, she had gone so far only to lose. He redirected his attention back to Gokhan, satisfied with the results that Leviathan would soon produce. His eyes turned just in time to see Vegeta kick Gokhan across the floor. Why is he playing with him, he asked himself. Finish it and be done with him! A moment or two later he felt it. Gokhan's energy began to steadily rise. The room began to shake. Dalron was forced to spread his wings and activate his energy barrier due to the amount of damage that his transformation was causing, but it was such a beautiful sight!

Gokhan's scream began as a low bestial growl. The growl became louder, mimicking the steady rise in his ki. The growl turned into a shout as the mystic aura flared around him. The floor crushed itself downward under the weight of his powerful ki and the small crater grew deeper and spread outward, ripping up more of the floor, and send debris flying. Blue lightning danced across his body as he brought his clenched fists up from his side. Slowly, his eyes began to change color to that of a deep green. His shout rose in pitch, becoming a scream. His super saiyan aura flared to life, surpassing then merging with the mystic aura. His hair flashed golden blond, then back to black as his scream rose to a fever pitch. The ceiling began to crumble, sending large chunks of rock and metal down into the ever-widening crater. Finally his scream died down, his transformation complete. Gokhan hovered above the crater, a curious mix of his mystic and super saiyan auras radiated from him and his hair flickered back constantly from that of super saiyan gold-blond and back to black. Blue arcs of electricity danced around him and struck out on their own accord, melting rock and metal when they came into contact with it.

"Now we'll see who's the strongest," he remarked to Vegeta darkly.

Vegeta didn't reply, but his scowl told Gokhan all he needed to know.

The power of Gokhan's transformation to super saiyan/mystic saved Videl's life. Leviathan's back was turned from both Vegeta and Gokhan at the time and the energy given off by his transformation, coupled with the large chunks of rock and metal that were being thrown around caused Leviathan to loosen his grip slightly. It was just enough for Videl to wiggle her arms free and she powered up as high as she could go as fast as she could. The silver aura enveloped her and she poured forth the power at her command into her hands. She thrusted her hands into the monster's face and let loose with an energy blast that had all of her power behind it. The power and force behind it was enough for Leviathan to loose his grip on her completely, and he was sent crashing down to the crater where Gokhan was. She didn't acknowledge the pain she felt and forced it out of her mind. She looked over at Vegeta who stood across from Gokhan. Not thinking for her own safety, she blurred and appeared next to him.

Smoke rose from Leviathan's scarred visage. He climbed out of the crater and stood next to the powered-up Gokhan. He looked over and saw the woman appear across from him next to the saiyan prince. Anger welled up within the behemoth. That damn woman broke free from his death-grip! No one had ever done that before, and for that she was gonna pay!

"Let's finish this," he growled to his companion.

Gokhan turned and looked at the battered and bruised form of Leviathan and smiled. "Yes, let's end it right now!"

Leviathan gave a quizzical look at his companion, and that was the last thing he ever saw. Gokhan's extended arm struck with speed that was faster than thought! His strike took Leviathan's head clean off from his shoulders. The snap of the attack sent out a shockwave of air that continued until it his the far wall of the room that sliced through it and continuing on through out the rest of the fortress and into the rock of the mountain. Leviathan's head fell into the darkness of the crater, followed by his limp body. Gokhan slowly recoiled his arm back to its normal position and looked up at Dalron who stared down in disbelief.

Dalron was in shock! He killed Leviathan! He hovered there for long moments, trying to come to grips with what had just occurred. Finally he hovered down to stand across from the three warriors. Each stood at one end of the crater forming a triangle of power. "You," Dalron began, his voice quavered with emotion, "you killed him!"

Gokhan frowned and extended his arm down toward the crater. Blue energy sailed forth illuminating the crater. The explosion was enough to tell Dalron that nothing was left now of his friend, not even ash. The ferocity and coldness of the attack rooted him to the spot.

"Your friend is no more," Gokhan said darkly. "He's just like the rest of the people you killed on this planet: a memory. You're next."

Dalron glared at the saiyan warrior with utter hatred and was about to speak, but Gokhan cut him off, "You used us for your evil ends. It's time to right the wrongs that we have committed in your name! But not like this. It would be too easy to destroy you in this form. We're going to do it the old fashioned way; the saiyan way!"

With that Gokhan defused into Goku and Gohan. They levitated over to where their friends stood each never taking his eyes off of Dalron. Goku landed next to Vegeta while Gohan landed in front of Videl. Dalron slowly unsheathed the sword from his scabbard. He raised it in a salute and crouched down in a defensive stance, his wings flared out, what little light remained in the room reflected off the feathers.

Gohan felt Videl's head rest against his back and he heard her sob softly, "I knew you'd come back to me."

"It was your love and courage that brought me back," he explained, still not taking his eyes off of Dalron. "And once dad and I fused I was able to bring him back. It's all thanks to you Videl, you did it!"

"Enough," Goku spat hatefully, "Let's do this!"

Dalron waited…

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A/N: Sorry for the lateness of the chapter. I didn't mean it, honest! I hope you readers out there liked the little plot twist I had here. **Majunior7 **came close in his review and props to that particular reader for coming to the right conclusion, but was a bit off in his theory. You see, Gohan was brought back by Videl and since he had embraced his darker half he was able to mask his aura as it were to appear as if he was still evil. He was biding his time until he and Goku fused so he could attempt to bring him back to the side of good. There's your explanation. Kudos to Majunior7, I thought I would have everyone fooled, I guess next time I'll have to try harder!

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Next Chapter: I think it would be safe to say that there will be a small amount of fighting going on, wouldn't you? What's this? Vegeta decides not to fight? It all comes to a head in the next chapter titled "**Self-Righteous Suicide**"! See you later!


	22. SelfRighteous Suicide

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Self-Righteous Suicide

Krillin opened his eyes and saw Piccolo glaring down at him. His head hurt and several joints of his were sore, but the majority of his injuries had been healed for the most part. The realization of what he had been forced to do flooded his brain, causing him to try and stand. His muscles rebelled but Piccolo offered his hand, which he took.

"Where are the others? Where's 18?"

They're in the fortress. The Grand Kai and Gotenks went on ahead to help Vegeta and Videl while Dende and I stayed behind to make sure the poison was driven from your system."

"They're being held in the detention center," Krillin exclaimed, "C'mon guys! We're gonna need to hurry if we want to catch the others; they're headed for a trap!"

"Lead the way," Piccolo responded.

Dende hopped on Piccolo's back and they flew off toward the mountain fortress, readying themselves for the battle that was to come…

Videl was consumed with conflicting emotions. Gohan, her true love, had finally returned to her. Because of her actions he was fighting on the side of Light once again, and he was able to bring his father back from the darkness when they performed the fusion technique. She was elated, warm and ecstatic but at the same time fearful. The violent aura that radiated from the winged man was at such a fever pitch that it felt like another physical presence in the ruins of the large chamber. She was surprised to feel Goku's aura giving off the same high levels of violence and rage. Gohan's aura was more subdued, and she couldn't read anything from Vegeta who made it clear that he was masking his emotions. The three of them stood at one end of a large crater that was created when Goku and Gohan had going super saiyan in their fused form. The massive creature Leviathan fell to their surprise attack; his head was severed, then the body was atomized by a powerful ki attack. The large doors that held their friends were still intact, and a soft blue light glowed from the doors proper, telling her that the safeguards were still intact. They still had no way of reaching the others. 

The trio of saiyans and Videl were directly opposite the winged man who was the cause of all her sorrow and despair for the past year and more. He wielded a wickedly curved sword and by all appearances, knew how to use it. What little light remained in the large chamber reflected off the feathers of his outstretched wings, making him look more ominous than he already was. His defensive stance was unfamiliar to her and her analytical mind told her of the improbability of his stance because he held the sword out at arms length, making himself appear wide open for attack. Her training with Vegeta in the Room of Spirit and Time taught her that appearances could be deceiving, and Vegeta was the harshest sensei that she could think of. Every time she underestimated him he made his displeasure known and she was stuck healing for days for her errors. She wouldn't fall into that trap again.

The tension in the chamber was so thick it could have been cut with a knife. Goku looked like he was ready to explode into action at any moment, as did Gohan. Vegeta and the winged man were the only ones maintaining calm exteriors, if they were true or false fronts she had no way of knowing. Goku finally broke the silence.

"The innocent lives of those you have killed cry out for justice! This ends HERE!"

"Oh, are you to lecture me on what is justice, saiyan," Dalron asked darkly through clenched teeth, "My entire race and scores of others like it were subjugated and summarily executed by your kind on a daily basis! You prattle and moan about justice! The blood of their dead has cried out for far longer than you! Are they to be denied?"

"ENOUGH!" Goku screamed as his super saiyan aura flared to life around him. "You used the same tactics that Freeza did and made us your puppets! You're no better than he was!"

Dalron slowly brought his blade up (Highlander style!) and regarded the enraged saiyan, "Perhaps. I would never expect a monkey to grasp even a hint of my plans, but the goal remains the same; the total and utter extermination of your damned race!"

Goku had heard enough; he was beyond caring. Dalron had used him, violated him in a way that he never thought was possible! He was just about to leap at him and rip him limb from limb but an arm blocked his way.

"Get out of my way, Vegeta," Goku growled.

"No," came the strangely soft, but firm reply. "There is another way to do this without any further bloodshed."

"Vegeta," Goku warned.

"Listen to me," he admonished in a harsher tone, "I'm taking a page out of your book here, Kakarot. Stand down."

Tense seconds passed. Videl glanced at the three saiyans. Gohan stood back barely keeping his anger in check, but he was doing a better job than his father was. Vegeta and Goku's eyes were locked on the other in a stare-down contest of wills. More agonizing seconds passed and Videl was sure that Goku was going to strike out against Vegeta, the violence in his super saiyan form was that strong! However he backed down, but he didn't revert to normal form. Vegeta turned to face Dalron.

"You speak of justice, Dalron," he explained in a solemn tone, "when it is vengeance that you truly seek."

Dalron's frown darkened, "Speak your piece and be done with it, murderer!"

Vegeta spread his arms in an effort to be non-threatening and his eyes stared off into the far distance of the past. "The people on this planet are not stained with the blood of the Nistans, mine are. They have done nothing to you. They are a backward race, not even worthy of being considered for conquest. Their weapons and defenses are inferior, of which you have undoubtedly seen."

"Get to the point," Dalron said menacingly.

"Why the show of force then? You obviously have the power to claim the vengeance that you so desperately seek. Why bother getting the humans involved?"

"I would not expect you of all people of all of the races to speak such ironic words when you know the truth: 'find your enemy's weakness and exploit it ', that's how your race was able to thrive doing what they did. Don't insult my intelligence!"

"Very well," Vegeta said nodding, "then on behalf of the humans of this world and my friends, I propose a treaty for peace."

Dalron's hateful glare turned quizzical, "What do you have in your possession that would make me remotely consider such a ludicrous request in light of the events that have occurred here in the past few minutes?"

Goku and Gohan looked at each other in confusion; they too were just as confused as Dalron. Videl looked from father to son also not understanding what Vegeta was up to.

"What do you want more than anything else? If vengeance is what you truly seek then I will gladly give it to you under the conditions that my family and friends be left out of it."

"No, Vegeta! Don't do this," Goku cried in anger, realizing what he was trying to do.

"Nothing good can come from that decision," Gohan declared, trying to reason with Vegeta.

Dalron paused, considering the saiyan prince's words. Vegeta turned back to his friends. "Kakarot," he began with a smile, "do you remember when we were on the Kai's planet fighting Buu?"

"Of course," he replied angrily, "how could I ever forget!"

"Do you remember when I asked you how many times you have saved the world?"

Goku nodded. "Vegeta, don't…"

Vegeta's raised arm cut him off in mid-sentence, "It's my turn now Kakarot. My time on this planet and among its people has opened my eyes to wonders that I dared to never believe was possible. Kakarot," he said smiling, "you never had to live with the choices that I had to make, consider yourself fortunate." He put his hand on Goku's arm and squeezed it affectionately. "The world will still need you Kakarot. It's not your time yet. Live life as you always have, to the fullest of your ability." The anger in his face plainly showed his disapproval with Vegeta's choice, but he nodded. Vegeta turned to Gohan. 

"Gohan, you are strong in spirit as well as lucky to be gifted with other things," he said as he looked at Videl who blushed at hearing his words. "Your children will be strong, just be sure to teach them where their heritage comes from."

Gohan blushed and nodded, "I will Vegeta."

Vegeta turned to Videl; she fought back the tears, rather unsuccessfully. "Videl."

"Yes…yes, Vegeta," she sniffed.

"You are strong, the strongest human I have ever met. It was an honor to train you, and in that time we spent together I began to think of you as another daughter. I would have been proud to have called you one of my own."

She couldn't meet his stare; she was so overcome with emotion. Not realizing what she was doing she threw her arms around him and hugged him for several moments. He returned the hug grudgingly. They parted, tears streaming down her face.

"Sorry," she apologized.

He gave her a half smile and turned around to face Dalron. "Well? Have you considered my request?"

Dalron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I have. But what assurances do I have that this isn't a trick?"

"You have my word as a warrior," he replied. "Will you honor the request?"

Tense moments passed as Vegeta waited for Dalron's answer.

Gotenks and The Grand Kai faced off against scores of robots the moment they entered the fortress. The warriors were able to dispatch the robots with ease, but for every one they destroyed two more were ready to take their place. The Grand Kai and Gotenks measured their progress into the fortress by feet, and then by inches as more robots poured into the entry chamber. Gotenks switched tactics and sent wave after wave of ki blasts directly into the heart of the robot lines. The resulting explosions caused the robots to scatter, sending debris and robot parts flying. The grand Kai sped through the debris, firing rays of energy into any robot that dared to get in his way. It was still slow going for the warriors as the robots changed tactics and morphed their arms into blaster guns of their own and soon the chamber was filling up with smoke and more debris as each side attempted to blast the hell out of the other.

"I'm pinned down," The Grand Kai yelled behind cover as he returned fire with ki blasts. "How're you holdin' up, kid?"

"Fine," he yelled back, ducking from the blasts, "I wonder how Piccolo and Krillin are doing! I hope they're having a better time than we are!"

Piccolo, Dende, and Krillin flew around the mountain and found another entrance at a higher elevation. The plan was simple: divide and conquer. The first to reach the others won. The entrance was guarded by sentries, and living ones at that. Piccolo and Krillin knocked them out without so much as a whisper and the trio entered the fortress. The trio was greeted by vicious looking robots and several creatures wearing armor and brandishing large energy rifles. I knew this wasn't going to be easy, Piccolo thought to himself as he joined Krillin in battle.

Dalron mulled over Vegeta's request for a long time. He stretched out his senses, attempting to read his hated enemies' feelings. He didn't detect any hint of subversion from him, however the saiyan known as Goku was barely keeping his anger in check. Uncontrollable anger was a weakness to exploit, and Dalron learned well from the masters of such tactics.

Dalron lowered his sword slowly. "I accept."

Vegeta nodded, "You made the right choice." He levitated himself and began to move over to where Dalron was.

Goku couldn't believe it! I can't let it end like this, he thought. We've fought so hard to get where we are. I can't accept it!

Gohan held Videl in his arms. Her face was buried in his chest and she was crying. He knew Vegeta's decision was the right one, but he didn't have to agree with it, and he didn't. Gohan held Videl tightly to his chest as he watched Vegeta's slow ascent to his fate.

Gotenks and The Grand Kai blasted through the robots and the living forces that composed the army arrayed against them. Every room was full of combatant's eager to cause their destruction. Their living foes attacked with a ferocity that nearly matched Gotenks. Every foot they advanced was won over by the blood and fallen metal of their foes. Gotenks was surprised by the sheer power of them all and was as careful as he dared to be. He needed to conserve as much energy as he could if he was to find the one responsible for all this misery. 

The Grand Kai fired an energy blast that tore through the wall and cleanly through the next room. The explosion threw shards of red-hot metal out in all directions. Those living warriors took positions behind cover and fired their blaster rifles, creating waves of suppressing fire, which kept The Grand Kai pinned down. A volley of energy attacks from Gotenks cleared away the opposition enough for the old Kai to move on into the next room. Gotenks quickly followed behind him, sending suppressing fire of his own.

The next room looked depressingly like the last and was full of robots and armed warriors. After a short-lived but intense battle, Gotenks and The Grand Kai moved deeper into the fortress.

Krillin's Destructo-Discs cleaved through the lines of robots without much effort. Piccolo was at his back hurling beams of destructive energy at their enemies. Dende stayed in the background, hiding from danger as best as he could. The robots understood battlefield tactics well, and used that to their advantage. They knew the ground better than the z fighters and every inch that was gained by Piccolo and Krillin was hard-fought. The living warriors that were mixed in with the robots posed problems as well. They had the knowledge of their opponents' attacks and their energy shields were able to dampen most, if not all, of their attacks. As one, Piccolo and Krillin switched tactics. They combined their energy into a massive wave of destruction, but instead of targeting their enemies they aimed at the floor. The massive wave sailed forth and disintegrated its intended target and several floors below as well as a multitude of robots. Piccolo quickly grabbed Dende and they jumped down the massive hole, Krillin jumping after them while covering their flight with blasts of his energy.

Vegeta hovered over to Dalron's position when all hell broke loose! The ceiling exploded, debris rained down on the occupants and dust masked the visions of everyone. Vegeta tensed as he heard Dalron's angry cry.

"What is the meaning of this? I knew you were not to be trusted, saiyan!"

The dust cleared away enough for Vegeta to see Piccolo's silhouette hovering in front of him. Before he had a chance to speak, Piccolo's form blurred to super speed to where Dalron stood. There was a loud crack of noise, and Vegeta winced, as he knew Piccolo struck his target.

"It's over," Piccolo growled as he sent fists into Dalron's face.

Dalron screamed and a shockwave issued forth from his body. It expanded as it hit Piccolo, and the force knocked him back to where Goku, Gohan and Videl were.

"It's not over! It will never be over as long as you live!"

Goku and Gohan appeared next to Vegeta, each hovering in a defensive stance.

"It seems that the fight was decided for us," Goku remarked rather enthusiastically. "Let's go!"

"No," Vegeta replied.

Goku looked at him questioningly, but came to the realization of his friend. "I understand Vegeta," he said. "Gohan, let's go!"

Gohan nodded and the father/son team launched themselves at Dalron. Dalron flared his wings out, creating an obscuring cloud of dust around him as he crouched in a defensive position. He closed his eyes to protect them from the dust and debris and used his hearing to detect his attacking enemies. He brought his sword up and dodged to the right as Goku's kick went wide. He ducked under Gohan's kick as well and sent a vicious kick of his own that connected right across the young half-saiyan's face. Gohan was sent reeling and Dalron pivoted as his foot landed from the attack to meet Goku head-on. The mighty super saiyan sent out a flurry of punches and kicks but Dalron was easily able to dodge them. Dalron was always impressed with the fighting ability of the saiyan warrior known as Goku and even now he did not disappoint. His balance was perfect, and he was able to shift it in mid-air as if gravity was a secondary consideration to the warrior. Dalron used his outstretched wings for better balance and balanced himself on one leg as he dodged Goku's attack. He pivoted on the heel of his foot and sent a wicked roundhouse kick across Goku's face, sending him flying.

Krillin and Dende landed next to Videl who glanced fearfully at Gohan's fallen position. Gohan was slow to get up and everything inside her screamed for her to rush to his aid, but her mind held her in check. She was dimly aware that Krillin was talking to her, but she didn't hear him.

"…Others?" he asked frantically.

"What?" she asked as she shook her head clear and focused on Krillin.

"I said, where are the others?" he asked more urgently.

She pointed toward the sealed doors and answered, "They're behind those doors, but it's locked and protected from our attacks. We can't get through it!"

"Damn," he cursed as he looked over to where she pointed. He saw Goku sail out of the dust cloud that surrounded Dalron and watched Goku slam against the wall harshly.

By this time they saw Piccolo and Gohan get up and charge into the dust cloud. Vegeta hovered back to where they stood. "Why aren't you helping them," Krillin asked incredulously.

"My reasons are my own," he snapped angrily, "the stupid Namek screwed up everything! He deserves what he gets!"

"How can you just stand there," asked Dende. "They are your friends!"

Videl felt the ire rise within the proud saiyan prince. He was quite angry, and that anger was reflected by the look in his face. "If you want to join them then be my guest," he said darkly.

Krillin's eyes landed on Goku who stood and joined the others in combat then he looked at Vegeta. "Well, I'm not going to take this just standing around!" With that, he powered up and leapt to join his friends.

Videl powered up as well. She held the same view as the others and was about to leap into the fray but Vegeta's outstretched hand stopped her.

"What are you doing? Let me go help them!"

"You'll die," he answered matter-of-factly. "Dalron is way out of your league. Hell, he's probably out of all of our leagues."

Videl bristled at his words. She reflexively clenched her fists in anger. "I can't stand around and not do anything while…" Her voice trailed off as she looked back at the battle and saw Gohan fly out from the cloud of dust and land with a sickening thud yards away.

"Gohan can take care of himself," Vegeta said soothingly. "Besides, he wound never forgive himself if you were lost to him again."

She turned toward Vegeta in anger, "Then how can I let this happen? I feel the same!" Tears of anger began to slide down her cheeks. "Can't you see what he's done? He's tried to destroy everything you and I care about! He's used our own loved ones against us, even your own son!"

Vegeta's face was impassive as ever and he regarded her coolly, "I know," he muttered, barely above a whisper, "but it's my fault all this is happening. You have no idea what it feels like to be the destroyer of millions of beings throughout the galaxy. I used to revel in it, but that time is gone."

"Then do something about it," she pleaded. "Fight with us to end those wrongs! I know your hold your pride above all else, but we need you; we need your strength!"

Vegeta felt the rush of battle nearly overtake him, but he finally suppressed it, "I…I cannot."

"Then let me go and face the bastard face to face. If I'm going to die, at least I'll be by Gohan's side!"

Vegeta's look took a harder tone. "Gohan would never allow it, you know that."

Videl's silver aura flared around her as she pushed her power beyond her limits, surpassing everything she had gone before. "If you don't care enough to protect those you love, who will?"

Vegeta understood what she was going to do, but her power made her faster than him. She kicked him directly between the legs, sending the saiyan prince to the floor in a world of pain! He coughed in agony as she stared down at him.

"If you can't face your fears you will never conquer them! You can stay on your knees like a cowardly dog if you want, but that's not the path I choose! I WILL fight! I won't let others determine my own destiny!"

Videl took to the air and flew toward the cloud of dust, eager to exact retribution on the winged monster that was the cause of all of her sorrow. Vegeta weakly reached his arm out to Videl's flying form. He tried to yell out to her, but his voice was caught somewhere in his stomach and he could barely breathe from her cheap shot. 

"No! Videl…cough…don't…do…it!"

****

Next Chapter: Gotenks arrives in time to add some heavy support to the battle. Dalron's anger and power reaches a fever pitch while Vegeta reflects more on his past. With Videl joining the fight, do the z warriors have the ace they need to win the battle? All this and more coming up!

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A/N: I'll be home from the 4th of March to the 11th so I won't be able to work on the next chapter until I get back. The next chapter should be up by the 15th of March at the latest, I hope. Props to my sis for her invaluable ideas for this chapter, I couldn't have done it without ya!


	23. Power from the Past

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Power from the Past

It took Goku precious seconds to stand. The kick from Dalron nearly splintered his jaw in half! His eyes refused to focus on the battle that raged before him. Needles of pain assaulted his brain and traveled down his spine. He knew that his natural healing abilities wouldn't be up to the task to keep him going in this fight; Dalron was simply too strong. Dalron's strength was at least equal to Buu at his most powerful form, but Goku sensed that he didn't have the endless reserves of energy that Buu had. That was a variable that worked in his favor, if they could sustain the attack long enough to weaken him their chances of survival greatly increased. His right shoulder suddenly went cold and numb, refusing to flex. Goku had been in enough battles to understand the seriousness of nerve damage, and he feared the worst. Slowly his eyesight returned, revealing the desperate struggle before him. Krillin had joined the fight but Dalron easily dodged the attacks from his friend. Goku was astonished at the pure technique of their winged enemy, and his senses whispered darker things to him that he forced from his mind, even though he knew his suspicions were correct. There was a presence beneath that of Dalron's, a presence of pure destructive instinct and power; the power only a super saiyan could muster…Brolly's.

He didn't understand it and he didn't care. All he cared about was what he was forced to do while he was under the influence of Dalron's evil mind control. Never before had he felt so…violated. The numbness in his shoulder and arm disappeared, replaced by a constant prickly feeling, but he was able to flex it through the pain and force it to work. Rage welled up within him, and the cold purpose of the destruction of this enemy became his overriding goal. Dalron could never be forgiven for the sins and blood that were now on Goku's hands! The only thing Goku wanted was death…no matter at what cost!

Goku clenched his fists as his power rose of its own accord. The familiar golden aura flared to life around him, but it wasn't the same as before. The aura had a malevolence about it that mirrored the dark desires that were in Goku's soul. Goku let all the anger and rage consume him. He felt his mind lose the subtle connection between rational thought and pure chaos. Had his brother, Radditz, lived to see him the way he was now, he never would have laid a finger on Gohan all those years ago; he would have left the galaxy screaming in fear! The ground around Goku reacted to the ki given off by him and exploded as he charged into battle, screaming with rage, pain and the loss of innocence.

Gohan snapped his jaw back into place and rubbed the painful bruise on his cheek, courtesy of Dalron's kick. He was up in a second, leaping back into the battle. Krillin was easily swatted away and struck the far wall with a sickening crunch. Piccolo was already engaged again, using every dirty trick in the book to keep the winged warrior away from him. Gohan attacked Dalron from behind, thinking he'd get in a blow or two while he was busy with Piccolo, but that wasn't the case. At the last moment Dalron spun and kicked upward with amazing speed. He aimed for the exposed front of Gohan's neck, intent on snapping it, but Gohan flipped over the attack and leapt backwards with his arm outstretched and bent. His elbow found Dalron's mid-section, and he brought his fist back and smacked him squarely on the face. Dalron reeled back from the blow and slammed into the wall, the impact of the blow pressed him almost a foot deep into the wall. Piccolo and Gohan didn't waste time as they sent powerful waves of ki energy at Dalron. A few of the blasts struck, causing massive amounts of debris and dust to fill the area. Piccolo remained alert and dodged the first attack from Dalron that immediately followed. His sword cleaved through the space where the Namek once stood and created a large rent in the floor from the force of the blow. Piccolo flipped backward and landed in a defensive position ready for the next attack. He braced himself as Dalron attacked, swinging his sword wide. Both Gohan and Goku, who had re-entered combat, tackled him from both sides, Gohan pinned the deadly sword strike with his arms while Goku lashed furiously onto Dalron. Goku had Dalron pinned underneath the other arm and was continually punching Dalron in the back of the head while the momentum of their combined attack knocked Dalron off balance. 

Piccolo readied his Special Beam Cannon and fired while Dalron was disoriented and hit him point-blank on the chest. Dalron screamed in pain as the energy of Piccolo's attack coursed through him. He snapped his head back and a shockwave of energy issued forth from his aura knocking back the three Z warriors. Goku and Gohan were up before Piccolo and braced for the following attack, but Dalron spent the seconds picking up his sword and swinging it around him before crouching down in a high defensive stance, his wings flared out, giving him an even more ominous appearance that he already had.

"The power of the saiyan spirit is strong indeed as is that of the Nameks," Dalron growled begrudgingly, "But it is no match for my strength!"

Gohan took a moment to look over his dad and almost took a step back in shock! He almost didn't recognize him from the amount of dark waves of ki that flowed from his aura. Gohan didn't have time to wonder however as Dalron blurred to super speed and attacked.

The Grand Kai and Gotenks blasted through room after room destroying all robots that got in their way. They were able to home in on their friends' signatures and headed in that direction, which was in the opposite direction that they originally headed. Both knew that the final battle was already going and they didn't want to miss any of the action. The old Kai was deeply concerned by Goku's ki signature. Something was definitely wrong, he reckoned his ki was all out of whack. He didn't want to think of the ramifications on that line of thinking and he kept his concerns to himself as they smashed through room after room and wave after wave of deadly attack robots. 

Gotenks sensed their respective fathers power signatures as well and were in a hurry to meet up with them. He sensed that the battle wasn't going to well and was eager to test his own strength against the true enemy. The robots were tough and the living guards were even tougher but they weren't a match for a fused super saiyan, let alone one at third level strength. Past experience taught Gotenks to conserve as much energy as he could, so he wouldn't burn himself out too quick and he picked his shots when he could. Still that part of Gotenks that was Goten was confused and more than a little worried by the ki signature given off by Goku. It didn't make much sense, but the endless waves of attack robots and other guards didn't give Gotenks much time to dwell on the matter. Each room the pair exited from was a ruin of fallen bodies and scattered robotic parts, and there was still a few rooms to go before they reached their friends. The Grand Kai and Gotenks kept up the pressure and pressed on, knowing that their goal was getting closer by every step forward.

Goku ducked a sword slash that was intending to sever his head from his shoulders. His right arm was tingling with damage and was reacting slower than his left. Several strands of gold hair were cut at the ends from the speed of Dalron's attack. As he ducked he brought his left fist up in a vicious uppercut that impacted squarely on Dalron's stomach, forcing the air out from him. Goku tried to follow through with his right, but the pain and strain to get it to move made him move slower than expected and the Enemy spun out of the way. The Enemy attacked as he spun, slashing his sword following his spin and caught Goku on the injured arm. The cut wasn't deep, and Goku barely felt the blow, but the damage to his arm lowered its effectiveness even further.

Gohan was ready to meet Dalron as he finished his spin. His mystic form was powered as high as he could go and he went toe to toe with Dalron. He kept his hands up, carefully gauging the deadly arcs of Dalron's blade, and used careful timing and a precise swaying motion to swat away the flat side of the blade. Dalron caught on quickly and changed the angles of his sword strikes, trying to keep the powerful saiyan guessing. Gohan realized the danger he was in and clapped the blade between his hands and hen locked his fingers together to stop the blade from gaining any further forward momentum. For a half-second both warriors strained against the other trying to gain the upper hand in the contest of strength. Neither side gained ground and they broke off from each other.

Piccolo blurred and appeared under Dalron and punched upward, but Dalron back-flipped and avoided him. As he landed he had to bring his sword up to defend himself from the flurry of blows from Gohan. Goku joined his son, attacking the Enemy from behind.

Videl stopped advancing to the battle in order to check on Krillin. He twitched and convulsed as he struggled to stand; he wasn't getting very far prior to Videl's assistance.

"Thanks," he grunted as she hoisted him up over her shoulder.

"You alright?"

"Ugh…I'll be fine," he answered, but she could tell he was more injured than he was letting on.

He shrugged her off and powered up his ki. He charged into combat with a grim expression on his face. Videl charged after him, intent on helping out her friends and her love.

Both her and Krillin slammed into Dalron while he was busy with the others. The battle was now joined!

Vegeta stood weakly and stared in white-hot anger at the fight, his attention fully focused on Videl. Involuntarily he went super saiyan. How dare her! Doesn't she know that he's too strong? They've sacrificed too much to make a mistake now, and even though Videl had gotten far in her training, it wouldn't be enough once Dalron started concentrating on her. Even with the Room of Spirit and Time she hadn't come far enough, hell, he didn't even think that Goku and himself could take him at their strongest. But now there was no other choice. He didn't want to fight; all he wanted was his wife and son back. But just like so many good plans, they fall through and chaos reigns. 

Vegeta's concern for Kakarot was growing each passing second. Something was wrong within him; he could feel it but couldn't place it. He was getting careless and clumsy. The rage inside him was affecting him in a way that was unlike anything Vegeta had ever seen. He could tell that Kakarot's arm was nearly dead, but instead of compensating for it he was still going all out against Dalron.

Dalron. The name now matched with a face invoked powerful emotions in the saiyan. Regret assaulted him the strongest and even a sense of pity for the winged warrior. Vegeta was confused with the emotions that boiled over through him. He was a saiyan elite! He should be leading the charge into battle with his friends and destroying the stupid upstart for daring to bring down all of this misery and suffering to his friends and family. Innocent people were cast aside without any regard for their safety. Everything that made Vegeta who he was screamed at him to join in with the others, and yet, he did not. Why? I'm no coward! Don't think, baka, just act! Get in there and save your friends! What would your father think of you if he saw you like this? He would…

"No!" Vegeta screamed aloud at himself, forcing his inner voice down. Vegeta's anger redirected itself toward himself, causing his aura to flare brightly. Dende took an involuntary step back in fear. But in a flash, Vegeta composed himself, betraying no emotions on his face.

Dende tried to gather his bravery to ask what was wrong with Vegeta but decided against it. Saiyans were a touchy lot, and Vegeta was the touchiest of all!

"We're almost there." Gotenks bellowed as he sent a devastating ki blast through the latest line of guard robots.

The old Kai grunted, sensing the nearness of the z warriors' ki signatures. He leapt over Gotenks and sent a barrage of ki-charged energy out toward the next line of defending robots. Explosions thundered out everywhere as robotic scrap flayed out in every direction. There was only one room left to go they were so close! The sealed blast-doors taunted them as if daring them to get past. The robots fired their volleys of lasers and mini-missiles at the fighters, causing them to waste more time and energy…

"Can you hear that?" Chi-Chi asked in astonishment.

Master Roshi's glasses gleamed in the dim light as he concentrated on the sounds of battle coming from outside the cell walls. "Hmmm," he answered. He tried to stretch out his senses but the walls were somehow blocking him.

18 was awake and none the worse for wear. The energy bars that separated their individual cells weren't particularly strong, but without access to their ki powers there was nothing they could do to free themselves. The waiting game continued in fearful silence, each occupant of the cells straining to hear of the battle's outcome just beyond the walls.

The Enemy's wings flared forward, swatting Goku to the ground. He shifted his balance as he fell and twisted his body to the side so one foot was able to land on the ground first and he pushed himself up, still twisting. He shot his other leg out as he completed the spin, but the Enemy arched his back and He flew over him, the attack ineffective. His arm was almost completely dead now, but he still forced it to move and act by sheer force of will alone. His eyesight became a haze, only the Enemy was in sharp focus. The last vestiges of Goku's mind tried one last assault to regain control, but failed miserably. Goku, now an utter animal of destruction, went to the second level of super saiyan. A red line surrounded the Enemy in Goku's vision; everyone and everything else became so out of focus as to become irrelevant. A growl grew from the depths of darkness and rage that was his soul. As it exploded from his center, his ki exploded with it, sending out shockwaves that destroyed walls and ceilings and threatened to destroy the very mountain itself! Using his very life force to power himself, Goku began to change…

Dalron felt the shockwave and raised a ki barrier to deflect the massive amounts of ki energy that was given off from Goku's direction. The others weren't so fortunate. Krillin, Piccolo, Gohan and Videl were sent flying like dead leaves. The hideous, monstrous scream that came from Goku was unlike anything they had heard before! Piccolo and Krillin thundered into the wall, pressed in by the force of Goku's ki. Gohan was able to get some sense of motion and direction and blurred over to Videl before she became flattened against the other wall. The force of the impact was still strong enough to knock the wind out of him!

Vegeta braced himself from Goku's shockwave and guarded Dende from the worst of it. Such power! I…I don't believe it! He cut the rest of his thoughts from his mind and concentrated on protecting himself and Dende.

The growl was now a roar of death. The pupils in his eyes were gone, replace by a white-hot fire of pulsing ki. The floor trembled and buckled beneath him, but he paid it no notice. His muscle mass nearly doubled as he grew. Blue lightning flashed and danced around him as the air reacted to his ki. His hair was long now and his features were more angular. Veins popped in his arms and chest, as if they too struggled to keep the raging power within him in check. His hair glowed just as brightly as his eyes. The aura that surrounded him was like living fire melting and disintegrating all debris that dared to come close to him. Finally his roar died down casting an eerie silence in the large chamber, even his aura was deathly quiet. 

Dalron raised an eyebrow in surprise, "That was…impressive." He was able to suppress the need to smile; there was no need to bring things further…possibly.

If Goku heard him he gave no indication. He raised his injured arm and found that it worked perfectly. His pulsing eyes regarded the arm curiously as if it wasn't his and when he flexed it he was satisfied with the outcome. He turned to the Enemy and bared his clenched teeth. An animalistic noise escaped from his mouth and he charged at the Enemy, full of fury and purpose.

Both Gohan and Videl stared in horror at Goku's transformation. Gohan was the first to shake himself out of the shock. He nearly went back into shock again as he realized that he held Videl in his arms.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to find a way to get the others free!"

Videl turned around and stared into his angry face. Her expression was angry as well. "I won't stand around and do nothing while you get tossed around! If I'm gonna die I want to die by your side fighting!"

"It too dangerous," he said with a tone of finality. "If I lost you again…" he couldn't finish.

The anger disappeared from Videl's face, and she chanced a small smile as she looked deep into his eyes. Suddenly she grabbed him and kissed him passionately for a long moment. She released him from the kiss, her mind still light-headed from the rush and emotion. "I love you Gohan," she said simply, "Forever and ever."

Gohan was caught off guard by the suddenness of her and was too disoriented to catch her. Videl blurred away from him as she powered up, her silver aura disappeared with her. It took Gohan a moment to realize where she was going…back into combat.

Piccolo dragged Krillin, who was unconscious, over to where Dende and Vegeta stood. He gently put down Krillin in front of Dende who immediately went to work healing him. Piccolo and Vegeta's eyes met each coldly regarding the other. No words were exchanged, as they knew what the other was thinking. Suddenly there was a loud explosion coming from the left wall and scraps of metallic robot pieces littered the new entrance. Gotenks and the Grand Kai had arrived!

Gotenks didn't waste any time and immediately flew toward Goku and Dalron, eager to finish the battle. The Grand Kai flew over to where the others were. "Sorry we were so late," he said with a smile, "but we got a bit tied-up back there."

Vegeta grunted, while Piccolo nodded. Piccolo turned to the blast doors that held their friends; "We have to find a way to get in there."

Vegeta didn't pay any attention; he was focused on the battle at hand. Gotenks, Goku and Videl were engaged with Dalron, but both Gotenks and Videl were giving Goku a wide berth. Gohan yelled something and was rushing over too. Vegeta looked over at Dende who had finished healing Krillin. He rubbed his head as he got up; "Ugh…what hit me?"

"This is it," Piccolo said as he looked at the fight. "They are our last chance between victory and defeat. We'll have to hold up our end and find a way to rescue the others," he said as he turned to the blast doors.

"It's resistant to your ki attacks," Vegeta said flatly. "You have any ideas?"

Piccolo nodded, "I think so."

Dalron was hard pressed against the savage fury of Goku's attacks. Gone was any pretense of training and martial arts, pure instinct and rage was what he was up against now. The small, fused super saiyan attacked but he was easily able to deflect the attacks of the powerful warrior. Dalron didn't even give the woman any consideration at all in battle, his energies was focused fully on Goku.

The Enemy was kept guessing by Goku's vicious attacks. That was one thing that was in his favor, but there was a drawback as well. Due to Goku's animal instincts taking over, he left himself wide open to attack, forgoing any kind of defense. The Enemy slashed with his sword, which Goku blocked with his arm, but the blade cut deep. Before the Enemy could retract it Goku grabbed the end of the blade with his other hand, cutting his palm up. Screaming, he snapped the blade in half! The savageness and quickness of the attack made the Enemy lose his balance, which Goku capitalized on by leaping directly on him. His hands were slick with blood, but he was able to grasp a wing as they fell to the floor. Goku wrenched backward, still howling like an animal. Now his howl was joined by screams of pain coming from the Enemy. There was a sick snapping sound as Goku ripped off the Enemy's left wing clear off! 

Through the red haze of blood and pain Dalron flipped backwards and used his knees to launch Goku off of him. Goku was sent flying; Dalron's bloody wing was still clutched in his hands as he slammed into the wall. Ignoring the searing pain from his back he flipped himself up to his feet and raised his arm up in time to block a ki blast from Gotenks. He kicked sideways, landing a glancing blow on Gohan before his fist could connect, and he ducked under the woman's clumsy assault. Things were starting to get out of hand. Goku was already up and was leaping back into the fray. Gotenks decided to attack as well, telegraphing his fist aiming at Dalron's face. With impossible speed, Dalron grabbed the outstretched arm of Gotenks and spun him around, using Gotenks' body as a bat and smashed Goku away. He let go of Gotenks and the momentum carried him into the already crumbling wall. He struck the wall headfirst, which got stuck. He struggled to get his head free from the rocky prison.

Both Gohan and the woman were preparing to strike. Gohan was using the Kamehameha Wave while the woman was gesturing some type of energy attack that he did not know. They released their attacks simultaneously from opposite ends of Dalron and their aim was true. Dalron tapped into his ki and thrusted his arms out at the last second and caught both energy blasts. For a split second it looked like the energy blasts would win and crush Dalron, but he was able to counter them with his great strength. He angled his hands and leapt to the air, releasing the energy blasts. The new angles of the blasts sent them hurling towards the other. Videl was caught flat-footed by the Kamehameha Wave and took it full force. Gohan was able to leap out of the way of her attack. Videl was sent flying from the explosion.

Vegeta blurred into action immediately. He caught Videl in mid-air and gently lowered her to the ground. Gohan blurred and was there when Vegeta landed. "Videl! Are you okay?"

Her eyes fluttered open and focused on both Vegeta and Gohan. Her clothes were burned and burn marks and bruises covered her. She nodded and Vegeta released her. The three of them turned as they felt a massive surge of ki being expended in the direction of Dalron. 

Dalron hovered high in the air and he raised his ki. He screamed as the air around him swirled in reaction to his ki. Gray lightning danced around him as his aura flared to life. Even with the loss of a wing he looked just as deadly as before. Then, impossibly, his aura changed color. It became golden in appearance and his hair began to change color as well. His muscle mass nearly doubled in size and continued to grow. His hair shifted fully to a golden color and the pupils in his eyes disappeared. Finally, his transformation was complete and there Dalron hovered, infused with the power of a super saiyan!

"No way!" Vegeta breathed.

"Impossible!" Piccolo stammered.

"What the hell's going on here?" the Grand Kai asked incredulously.

Videl said nothing, but she clutched Gohan in fear as she felt the massive power that was Dalron. But she knew the signature of the super saiyan power as well.

"It can't be," Krillin exclaimed, "that's…Brolly's ki signature!"

Goku stood up and regarded the Enemy who hovered above him. If he knew what the power signature signaled, he didn't seem to care. He stood there and waited.

"Yes," Dalron boomed. "Now you know my true power! Now the game shall truly end!"

Goku and the Enemy's eyes met, and they charged at each other…

****

Author's Notes: Sorry I was a day late on this one. Florida was nice and I think my batteries are recharged. Since the war in Iraq is basically over it sounds like my wife will be home sooner than expected! Anyway, thanks for all your kind words of encouragement. I copied and pasted the reviews of support and sent them to my wife and she thanks you for your support. 

Anyway, I got 2 chapters left, the final chapter and the Epilogue. I wrap up everything next chapter, but some things will never be the same. There's one more twist that will change the lives of one of the Z Warriors forever! Tune in and find out!


	24. The Final Battle

The Final Battle

            Gotenks thundered to the ground with a sickening sound and with such force that the two young saiyans defused and scraped across the floor, unconscious or possibly worse.  Dalron lowered himself to the ground, his fist still outstretched from the attack.  Without missing a beat, he dragged his foot across the floor, digging up loose rock and dirt.  His foot connected square across Goku's midsection, forcing all of the air out of his lungs.  As Goku's limp body fell to the ground Dalron grabbed his face with his left hand and shoved him into the wall repeatedly.  After the tenth time he unceremoniously threw him across the room.  With cat-like grace Goku flipped as he flew through the air and landed on his feet.  He immediately blurred to super speed leaving a small dust trail in his wake.  Thunderclaps and shockwaves of air were the only indication that Dalron was taking damage from Goku's continuous barrage.  

            The mountain was already unstable, and huge chunks of rock crashed to the ground creating new hazards for our heroes.  Videl and Vegeta used their auras to deflect the brunt of the falling rock and used their ki attacks to stop the rest before it became a problem around them.  Krillin and Piccolo did the same on their end.  Gohan sped over to where Trunks and Goten lay, gathered them up, and delivered them over to Dende to get some much-needed healing before reappearing next to Videl and Vegeta.  The remaining forces of Dalron ran for their lives as the mountain continued its slow, inexorable demise.  Most were crushed under the great weight of the rock or turned on themselves in the race to escape.  Those that survived the initial barrage of rock still had to contend with more and the added threat of the Z Warriors.  Goku and Dalron were the only ones too preoccupied to notice the vast destruction around them.

            The initial shock of Dalron's transformation had finally worn off as the battle dragged on between the two mighty warriors but the situation was getting even more desperate as each moment passed.  Goku was clearly outmatched by Dalron; only his ferocity was keeping him at bay, but only barely.  It would only be a matter of time before Goku's reckless attacks caused him to slip up, then Dalron would be able to capitalize on it and kill him.

            "You're good," Dalron grunted through clenched teeth as he strained against Goku's strength.  "You're even stronger than Brolly, maybe even stronger than me."

If he was looking for a reaction in Goku to his words, he didn't find any.  "But your strength comes at a price!"

            With a roar, he heaved Goku aside and struck out with his hand like a spear.  He caught Goku's shoulder and his extended fingers pierced through flesh and bone like they were butter!  Goku screamed in rage and pain.  Dalron twisted his hand sideways, aggravating the wound further.  

            "You let your rage blind you," he remarked casually.  "Your instincts are good, but you'll need more than that to beat me!"  He twisted his arm again, sending Goku to whole new realms of pain and agony.  Abruptly, Goku de-powered under the strain.

            "Father!"

            Gohan appeared next to his father and sent a powerful combination of punches at Dalron's face that caused him to lose his grip on his opponent.  Goku fell to the ground in a heap, blood still pouring out from the grievous wound.  Gohan's anger flared, as did his aura.  He felt the subtle connection to himself begin to slip as his power raged higher and higher.  He kept up the pressure, making Dalron a believer in the power of his mystic form!

            Both Vegeta and Videl appeared next to Goku's limp body and carried him off to safety as Gohan pressed on, gathering his power as the seconds passed by.

            "Oh no!  Goku's down," Krillin cried.  He gathered his energy and prepared to leap into the fray, but Piccolo's raised arm stopped him.

            "No!  There's nothing we can do for him now.  Freeing the others is our top priority; the others will have to handle it."

            "But what if they can't?" Krillin shot back.  

            "Then we're dead."

            Krillin held his head in defeat and sighed.  He lifted his head back up and looked hard at Piccolo.  "What's the plan then?"

            The Grand Kai moved closer to listen in.  Piccolo regarded the door in silence for a moment then closed his eyes.  "The door is resistant against all conventional attacks as well as our energy attacks.  We could theorize that the same resistant material would surround the entire chamber that imprisons our friends so digging under the door wouldn't be an option either."

            "So how do we get in then?" asked the Grand Kai.

            Piccolo's eyes opened as he spoke, "I'll go through it."

            A second of relative silence passed before Krillin spoke up as he cleaned out his ears.  "Huh?"

            Dende and the Grand Kai also gave Piccolo quizzical looks.  His expression didn't change, "Right on through."

            "How the f." the Grand Kai couldn't finish his question due to a large rock that landed square on his head.  

            Piccolo turned to face the other three.  "I will attempt to make myself intangible and walk on through as if the door wasn't there," he explained.  "I've only attempted this technique one other time and I failed with near disastrous consequences.  The process requires massive amounts of energy, more than I can generate alone.  I'll need your energy to help me complete the transformation.  Any questions?"

            The other three shook their heads no.  "Good, now join hands and raise your power levels as high as they can go."

            The complied with Piccolo's wishes and began powering up.

            Videl could only look on in horror at Goku's bleeding wounds as Vegeta lent him some of his energy to keep him stable until Dende was finished helping out Piccolo.  The steady stream of energy given off by Vegeta wouldn't last because of Goku's wound.  Blood poured freely from the gaping hole in his shoulder and his breathing was hollow and very faint.

            "Videl!  VIDEL!" Vegeta bellowed.

            She jerked with a start at the urgency of his voice.  "Huh?  What is it?"

            "Put your hands here and apply pressure; we need to close this wound," he commanded.

            She gingerly moved her hands over the wound and closed her eyes as she pressed down over the grisly wound.  The slickness of his blood, combined with his natural heat and the smell of sweat nearly made her wretch, but she applied as much pressure as she could.  The bleeding slowed but not completely.  She turned away from the sight only to see Gohan take a roundhouse kick from Dalron.  The force of the blow knocked him back, but he didn't seem to acknowledge the damage.  Vegeta's training took over her mind as she sized up the opponents.  That's when it hit her; there was something different about Gohan.  He maxed out his power level, which was close to Dalron's but there was enough of a gap between the two levels to make it a short fight.  However he didn't show any sign of fatigue from the hits.  He was bruising over but his movements were calculated and sure.  It was as if.he was holding back?  But that didn't make sense!  Then she noted another thing that confused her further: when you take damage your power level drops a bit.  It last for a brief millisecond before it climbs back up, but prolonged fights also cause fatigue damage to where the power level of the fighter who gets the worst of a battle starts seeing his power level drop at a steady rate.  Gohan was definitely getting the worst out of the battle but he wasn't registering any fatigue damage.  His power level wasn't dropping at all!  It was as steady and level as if he hasn't even started combat.  None of this made sense to her.

            "You sense it too," Vegeta stated as he continued giving his life energy to Goku.

            She turned to him with an incredulous expression, "What's going on here?  It doesn't make any sense!"

            "I don't understand it either.  I just hope he lasts long enough for Dende to get here!"

            Gohan's stare never left Dalron's.  At first he was confused.  Dalron should've wiped the floor with him by now, but he was still holding his own, getting beaten like a rag doll, but he was still standing.  He felt Videl's presence behind him and instead of getting angrier he found himself overcome with a peace and calmness that he had rarely felt before.  In fact, the only other times he could recall feeling that way was the final moments of his battles between Cell and Bojack; those last few seconds when he was able to dig down deep inside himself and muster the power to help his friends and defeat the enemy.  Now that same feeling was on him again and even though Dalron was stronger and his technique was greater it didn't matter to him.  He defended when he could, and dodged when necessary.  The force of Dalron's blows was powerful indeed, but a part of him wouldn't let the pain register.  Gohan decided to switch tactics.  Instead of using his power to augment his strength he used it to augment his speed.  The results were nearly instantaneous.  Dalron's attacks now seemed slower than before and much easier to block and dodge.  Even though Dalron's fighting techniques were top notch, they appeared.clumsy and non-focused now.  For a moment Gohan was astonished at the abrupt change of pace in the battle and Dalron used that moment to capitalize by smashing him to the ground and kicking him across the floor.  Gohan flipped up and assumed a defensive position.  Now THAT hurt!  He'd still have to be careful, Dalron was still capable of doing massive damage and then it would be all over.

            Conflicting emotions coursed through Vegeta body like a fire.  It was obvious to him that whatever Gohan had done to even out the stakes didn't work.  He turned to Goku.  He wouldn't last much longer no matter how much life energy he gave him.  He looked back at Piccolo and saw that they weren't finished with whatever they were doing yet.  Anger welled up inside him and his super saiyan aura flared to life involuntarily.  Videl noticed but there wasn't anything she could do if she wanted to.  She was giving Goku a few more precious moments of life by slowing the bleeding, if that was worth anything anyway.  What is worth all this, he asked himself.  I started this, and I was going to end it!  Blast you Kakarot!  Your rage could be the undoing of us all!  You stupid, idiotic, no-good, son-of-a-bitch!  You deserve to die!  After everything we went through together over the years you had to make the most bone-headed decision of your life and doomed us all.  Where were your high-minded decrees?  All your talk of peace, your love and zest for life, where has it gone, Kakarot?  The power of Dalron's mind control was too much for you.  Your baser saiyan instincts were brought to the forefront and you reveled in them.  You weren't strong enough Kakarot.  For that I cannot forgive you, and I hope you die.  Damn you for not being there when we needed you the most!  I would let you rot here and let your fate be sealed, but the others don't deserve that!  I can't let it end this way!  As King of the Saiyan race it is my duty to protect those that are left and the ones they care about.  It was a hard lesson to learn especially since I learned it from you Kakarot.  Besides, what other choice do I have?

            Vegeta took his hand off of Goku's should and stood up to his full height.  Videl looked at him quizzically.  "Vegeta?  What are you doing?"

            "Give him what life energy you can spare.  I'm going to finish this once and for all."

            Her next question was drowned out by his scream as he went third level and beyond.

            "Hmm," Master Roshi muttered as he stroked his beard.  "Things aren't going too well out there I'm afraid."

            Chi-Chi's look was distant in her cell.  "No, not again."  Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt her connection to Goku begin to diminish.

            "They'd better hurry up out there or we'll be buried alive in here," Oolong exclaimed, beginning to panic.  The cells began to shake as shockwaves rumbled through from the battle going on outside the area, adding another exclamation point to Oolong's outburst.

            "He's leaving me again," Chi-Chi whimpered, lines of tears streaming down her face.  "Hold on Goku!"

            Dende was the first to max out his power, followed by Krillin, then Piccolo and finally the Grand Kai.  Their auras burned bright white with power and purpose, and their auras combined to form one glowing outline.  Piccolo gripped the Grand Kai's arm tighter and Krillin's, signaling that he was ready to accept their energy.  The outline around Piccolo began to glow brighter while the others' began to diminish as their energy ran through him.  Piccolo's body slowly started to become transparent, one body part at a time.  Sweat poured off of all four of them as they concentrated.  Finally the process was complete as the aura faded around the others and finally Piccolo.  Piccolo was now completely transparent.

            "I hope this works," remarked Krillin.

            "It's got to, man," the Grand Kai replied.

            "Dende," Piccolo said.  Dende looked up at him, "Yeah?"

            "Go help Goku.  I'll have to handle the rest from here."

            "Krillin and I will go find the dragonballs while Bad Ass is occupied," the Grand Kai said.  Krillin and the others nodded in agreement.

            "Be careful," Piccolo warned.

            "You bet," came Krillin's reply.

            The group dispersed with their new goals, leaving Piccolo to stare at the closed door.  He took a step forward.

            Gohan ducked under a sword slash that came out of nowhere, and was forced to leap away from the next assault.  He didn't know how Dalron was able to create weapons out of thin air, but he knew that they were lethal.  He was cut and bleeding in several places, and his clothes were mostly rags now.  He dodged to the right to avoid one strike only to take a deep cut to his side by another.  His confidence was shaken and he could tell that his power level was beginning to drop from the damage.  The golden aura flared around Dalron's menacing figure and showed no sign of any appreciable power loss.  Dalron came at him again, blades flashing and hissing as he twirled them around for the next attack.  Instead of backing off Gohan flew at him as he charged up his power.  The two combatants met and Dalron's blades swung down from either side, attempting to cut Gohan into four distinct pieces.  Gohan screamed as he unleashed his ki blast right at the point of impact where the blades came down.  His bellow echoed across the remains of the cavern as the two fighters became enveloped in a bright ball of blue energy from Gohan's attack.  The energy held for a second and then exploded with great force.  Dalron flew back from the force of the blast, his blades shattered into slivers of energy.  Gohan stood his ground with his arms outstretched, breathing heavily.  He drew his hands back to his side and began the Kamehameha Wave as Dalron stood up slowly.  A small blue ball formed between his hands and began to grow as Gohan continued the Wave.  Dalron's aura spiked in irritation and he blurred to super speed.  Gohan felt him reappear behind him but kept enough presence of mind to hold on to his attack as Dalron's fist struck him repeatedly in the back.  As Dalron's fists came down Gohan let the momentum of the attack send him downward, but he was still able to keep his balance.  As he went down he brought his hands up and spread his legs outward, doing a split.  He released the Kamehameha Wave full into Dalron's face, the beam overwhelming him and continued on, disintegrating more sections of the mountain and continued on into space.  Dalron fell backward onto the ground, screaming in pain and clutching his face.  Gohan slowly brought his legs up from the split into a standing position and brought his hands down.  He turned to the writhing body of Dalron and was somewhat taken aback by what he saw: Dalron's face was bleeding profusely and he was clutching the place where his right eye once was.  Not wanting to waste time Gohan charged up another Kamehameha Wave.  He released it with all the force he held.  In an act of desperation Dalron shot out his finger and screamed in rage and pain.  A ray of white light shot forth from his finger, aimed directly at the center of the Kamehameha Wave.  The ray hit the Wave, causing it to detonate before impact.  The white beam continued on.  Gohan's eyes went wide as he realized what was about to happen.  The beam struck Gohan and continued through him, narrowly missing his heart by mere centimeters!  Gohan's world exploded into pain as he fell to the ground.

            Videl watched her love fall to the ground in slow motion.  She tried to yell out his name but no voice came from her mouth.  Every nerve in her body screamed at her to go save him and she would have if Goku didn't need her immediate attention.  She didn't even notice Dende come up from behind her.

            "I'll take over here," he said urgently.  "Get Gohan over here.quickly!"

            Dende's voice shook her out of it and she nodded.

            Piccolo stepped through the large doors as if they weren't there.  So far so good, he thought.  A wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm him.  Using all of that energy to transform into something that was between this reality and.somewhere else had a tendency to create unusual side effects.  Moving through solid matter nearly broke his concentration, and that was the key to his past failure and would have killed him if it hadn't been for his regeneration ability.  And in a flash the nausea passed as he completed his journey through the door.  Just in time too, because he became tangible again.

            "Piccolo!" The prisoners cried out in unison.

            Piccolo nodded and quickly scanned the room looking for any sign of guards or other protective measures.  Satisfied, he turned to Bulma's cell.  "How do I get you out of there?"

            Bulma stood up from her kneeling position and regarded the door.  "It's keyed somehow to a specific energy wave.  If any other type of energy wave hits it it's rigged to explode.  At least, that's what I'm guessing at.  All my equipment was taken when we were captured.  I don't know the proper wavelength to deactivate the cell."

            "We can't use our power either," Master Roshi explained.  "They must have some kind of dampening field in here too."

            "How're things going out there?" Yaumcha asked, his eyes getting bright with hope.

            "How's Krillin?" 18 asked wishfully.

            "Don't worry about that right now," Piccolo commanded, "we have more important things to worry about."

            The hope drained from both Yaumcha's and 18's eyes, and they fell back to silence.  Chi-Chi's eyes were still downcast; her thoughts were still on her dying husband.

            "Help me out here Bulma, this is your area of expertise."

            "I don't know how I can help, Piccolo!  I'd need my equipment!"

            "We don't have the means or the time!" he barked back.  "You're going to have to do this without your instruments."

            Bulma stared long and hard at the blinking control panels around each cell.  "Well," she began, "for starters, each cell is keyed to the same wavelength so that should save us some trouble.  It'll take me some time to do the calculations in my head."

            "I'll assist," 18 said.

            "Good," Piccolo said as he nodded, "now get to work."

            Krillin and the Grand Kai flew threw the crumbling tunnels of the mountain, the seven dragonballs were their goal.  Rubble came down around them as the mountain was loosing its stability.  Most of the rooms were choked full of robot parts and dead bodies, but there still wasn't any sign of the dragonballs.  Time was running out and they sped up their search.

            Dalron stood over the unconscious body of Gohan, still clutching his face.  What features were visible told of the damage that he had endured.  His face was a burned mess and charred horribly.  His blood-matted hair still smoked from Gohan's attack.  His body was also scarred and burned.  He slowly shuffled back a few paces, favoring his left leg.  "Still.alive, are you?" he rasped as blood dripped from his face.  

            "Yes," was Vegeta's reply from behind him.

            Dalron turned slowly to face him as he spoke.  "You.you have decided.to finally.fight?"  Dalron's good eye bore a hole through Vegeta's cold demeanor.  Vegeta didn't change.

            "If I must to protect my family and my way of life, yes."  His tone was low but surprisingly without malice.

            "And what of mine?" he spat back.  "What choice did we have?"

            "None, of course," Vegeta replied solemnly.  

            "You.you're race.is an abomination!  The bane of all that is good and pure in.in the universe!  We had to protect ourselves from you and your kind.  Butchers!  Butchers one and all!"

            "And how low you have sunk," Vegeta shot back.  "Using those who preach peace to cause destruction!  A true warrior never stabs an enemy in the back!  He faces his foe with honor on the battlefield!"

            "Hollow words coming from you!"

            Vegeta lowered his head a little," I.I have learned the errors of my ways a long time ago.  It was.Kakarot who taught me."

            "Another saiyan," he growled with derision.  "Your people are all alike.  His true nature was suppressed; I only brought it out.  In the end, he was just like the rest."

            Dalron removed his hand from his wounded face and clenched his fists in anger.  "There were millions of others like Kaltara, full of beauty and grace.  You took their lives from them!  Where is the honor in that?"

            "I do not have the answers to give you for my past sins.  If I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I."

            "Spare me your words, murderer!  You and your kind have poisoned the galaxy long enough!  I am the last of my kind, while you claim to be the King of your entire race.  Let us see, once and for all, which one of us is stronger!"

            Vegeta's cold expression still did not change, "As you wish."

            Their aura's flared to life and they struck each other as one.  The resulting thunderclap and shockwave of the hits shook the entire mountain!  Vegeta immediately went on the defensive, wasting precious seconds to size up his opponent.  Even though Dalron was injured, his power level hadn't dropped significantly enough.  Vegeta knew the dangerous position he was in; his time was running out, he couldn't stay in his current fighting form indefinitely.

            Videl saw her chance as Vegeta led Dalron away from Gohan.  She immediately blurred to super speed next to him.  She gingerly picked him up, trying not to put him in a position to where he would lose more blood.  She blurred back to where Dende and Goku were and gently laid him down.  Her insides were all knotted up as she checked his breathing.  She turned to Dende who was hard at work healing Goku.

            "Do you have enough energy left to help him?"

            "I don't know," he replied through gritted teeth.  "I'm having a difficult time keeping Goku stable, but I'll try."

            "Thank you," she said.  She turned back to Gohan and stroked his brow soothingly.  "Hold on, Gohan!"

            The Grand Kai and Krillin exploded through the rubble and dead bodies.  Most of the mountain had fallen and signs of death were all around them as they blasted through one corridor after another.  The pair was cut and bruised from the flying shards of rock but they continued on with their search, both trying not to gag at the ghastly sights around them.  After many agonizing moments they blasted through a large chunk of rubble and saw the remains of a room beyond it.  Destroyed druids and crushed bodies greeted them as they entered.  Large computers and shattered glass covered what was left of the floor.  Electrical discharges sparked from open conduits and wires.  Small fires burned at various places and the stench of ozone was thick in the air.

            "This looks like the control center," Krillin remarked as he looked around.  The Grand Kai nodded as he continued his search.  "Maybe the dragonballs are here somewhere."

            "I hope so," the old Kai answered back, "this is the only room left."

            They rummaged through the shattered machines, desperately searching for the dragonballs.  Minutes passed and still they found nothing.  

            "It's not here," Krillin cried.  "Where the hell are they?"

            Krill began a frantic search of the room again, smashing everything in his path.  The Grand Kai sighed and then his eye caught Dalron's throne.  He stoked his beard thoughtfully and walked over to it.  The throne was in the corner of the room and was relatively unscathed.  The thing that caught his eye was a glowing light on one of the armrests.  The light flashed red as he walked up to it.  

            "Krillin!  I may have found our answer!"

            Krillin stopped and flew over to where the Grand Kai was and studied the throne along with the old Kai.

            "What is it?  What did you find?"

            "Look at this," he said pointing at the flashing light.

            Krillin reached out his hand and touched the light.  The light pressed down and a slight clicking sound resounded around them.  The ground shook momentarily and the wall behind the throne began to give way.  A bright orange glow emanated from the secret room behind the throne.  The light bathed the two warrior's smiling faces.

            "Alright!" Krillin exclaimed, jumping with joy.

            "Who's the man?" the Grand Kai yelled as they high-fived each other.

            Piccolo was getting angrier by the second.  There wasn't anything he could do until Bulma and 18 came up with the right calculations.  If the energy wave wasn't keyed right.well.he didn't want to dwell on that.  

            "Are you two done yet?

            "I think so," Bulma answered.  "It's still a stab in the dark, but our calculations support us."

            "Good, what do I have to do?"

            Bulma and 18 pointed over at the control panel on the cell.  "See that control panel?  There's a series of buttons ranging from green to yellow to blue.  Those buttons need to be pressed in a certain sequence to deactivate the cell."  Piccolo nodded in understanding as he looked over the control panel.  "You'll only get one chance, so let's hope our calculations are correct.  Press the top left button twice."

            Piccolo did as commanded and then he waited.  Seconds passed but nothing happened.  "Well, what's next," he asked impatiently.

            "Sorry Piccolo," Bulma replied, "I was just waiting to see if the cell exploded.  I guess we were right after all!"

            A large sweatdrop formed over Piccolo's brow and he growled in displeasure.  "Next?"

            18 spoke up, "Fourth column down, three from the right, press the button once."

            He did and the low hum disappeared, but the energy still surrounded the cage.

            "That wasn't supposed to happen," Bulma said in alarm.

            "What wasn't supposed to happen?" Piccolo growled.

            "Don't worry about it," 18 said.  "Next, fifth column from the left, two over to the right.  Press the button twice."

            And so, the slow, agonizing process continued.

            Vegeta recoiled from Dalron's powerful punch.  Several teeth were knocked out from the force, but he was able to maintain his balance and he brought his arm up in time to block Dalron's sweeping kick.  He backed away and caught Dalron's next kick and twisted his leg as hard as he could.  Dalron flipped into the twist to keep his leg from snapping off and kicked out with his other leg knocking Vegeta away.  As Vegeta backed up, he shot his hands out and fired wave after wave of powerful ki blasts.  Dalron barely had time to dodge as he tried to keep his balance.  The blasts thundered around him and struck from all sides, knocking him around like a rag doll.  Vegeta moved into the blasts, hitting Dalron from point-blank range.  He poured as much power into his attacks as he could, not caring how quickly he was burning himself out.  He stopped the blasts when he was right next to him and immediately began a flurry of kicks and punches.  He wasn't giving Dalron time to recoup himself, and the blows he landed began to take their toll on Dalron.  Vegeta kicked upward with all his strength, connecting squarely with Dalron's chin.  Dalron became airborne, but Vegeta blurred above him and brought his massive fists down on him, crushing him back to the ground.  He brought his hands in front of him, aiming downward at Dalron.  Lightning danced across his body as his Final Flash attack formed.  He screamed as he let the attack go.  Dalron saw the attack coming and raised his hands above him in an attempt to catch the attack and stop it, or to try to dissipate the attack.  The Final Flash slammed into Dalron but his great strength held the energy at bay, he gritted his teeth as he strained to push back the attack.  The long sleeves of Dalron's tattered shirt disintegrated from the close proximity of the Final Flash, as did his gloves.  Dalron grunted and strained, veins popped out from his arms and head as he slowly started forcing the attack back.  He took a step forward, then another.

            "I'm not through yet!" Vegeta yelled as his aura flared brighter.  He tapped all of the energy he was holding in reserve and poured it on.  The Final Flash grew bigger and the weight of the attack caused Dalron's feet to drill into the ground.

            The ends of Dalron's long hair caught fire and disappeared from the closeness of the attack.  He screamed as he struggled and finally shoved the Final Flash to his side, escaping the majority of the blast.  He leapt at Vegeta with insane speed and brought his knee up, aiming at his midsection.  Vegeta saw it coming but he wasn't able to block it.  The sound of the impact thundered through the remains of the mountain as Dalron connected.  All of the air was forced out of Vegeta's lungs and he heard the sickening snap as several of his ribs broke from the impact.  To make matters worse, his lung was also punctured.  Dalron held the attack in place for a second, intent on inflicting as much damage as he could, but Vegeta retaliated by bringing his fists up over his head and brought them down on the small of Dalron's back.  There was another thunderclap from the impact and both combatants sailed to the ground.  The ground shook from Dalron's impact.  Vegeta landed on one knee clutching his side.  Blood dripped from his mouth and he coughed up more of the same.  It was getting more and more difficult for him to breathe.  

            Dalron got up slowly, clearing showing the pain that he felt.  His power was dropping steadily, but Vegeta's was dropping faster.  Dalron started walking toward Vegeta, murder intent in his good eye.  Vegeta struggle to stand, and finally did right as Dalron got up to him.  Vegeta was rocked by a powerful haymaker punch from Dalron, but he didn't fall.  Vegeta returned the sentiment with one of his own.  Strategy and technique was thrown out the window.  Both warriors resolved to be the only one left standing and used raw power to try to bring the other down.  Vegeta didn't bother with blocking anymore.  This is what he used to live for!  He felt his nose break from another powerful punch, and he returned the favor by punching Dalron right in the kidney area.  With his other fist he punched upward like a boxer, uppercutting Dalron.  Dalron rocked backward but turned to his side and brought his leg up as he turned.  The roundhouse kick landed in Vegeta's injured side, causing him to double over in pain.  Dalron completed his turn and brought his fists down repeatedly on Vegeta's head.  Vegeta forced his legs to continue working and shot straight up, using the back of his head like a battering ram.  The tactic worked, and Dalron backed away a step.  Vegeta grabbed the sides of Dalron's face and head butted him, causing Dalron to spin backward, reeling in pain.  Vegeta's head exploded in pain from the impact and for a second his body refused to work.  His legs buckled and he fell to his knees.  He was able to get one leg to work, but the other stubbornly refused.  His breathing was quick, and blood pored from his injured side.  He could dimly see Dalron's hazy figure step up to him, preparing to crush him with his raised fists.  He kicked out one of Dalron's legs with his working leg, but the other still refused to work.  Vegeta hit the floor, as did Dalron. 

            Vegeta's power level was dropping to dangerous limits; soon he would de-power and that would be the end of it.  He used his energy to raise himself from the ground slightly and to move his dead leg into position so he could stand.  The plan worked somewhat.  His dead leg locked in place keeping him balanced, but the downside was that he couldn't move.  

            I've got enough power for one last shot, Vegeta thought; I'd better make it count!  He brought his hands together in front of him and gathered what remaining energy he had left as Dalron stood up.  Vegeta's aura flared brightly, spiking and peaking like never before!  Lightning danced around his body, starting at his head and working down towards his hands where the blue ball of energy was forming.  Dalron snapped his hand out reflexively, and a blade of red glowing energy surrounded it.  He crouched down preparing to slice Vegeta in two.

            The final outcome of the battle was not lost on Videl.  Vegeta's energy was dropping at an alarming rate but so was Dalron's.  Dalron still had more energy in reserve, not much, but that was enough.  She saw in Vegeta's eyes that he knew it too.  Her heart sank as she saw him break into a smile as he stole a quick look in her direction.  He was resigned to his fate; the fate that eventually befalls all true warriors: death at the hands of a more powerful foe.  

            Her energy spiked for a brief second.  Videl was taken aback from the sudden surge of energy; she didn't do anything to raise her power on her own.  The energy wasn't her own, but it felt familiar.  She turned to Dende and was surprised to see Goku's eyes boring through her.  

"Goku." she started.

            He gripped her arm with his good hand and squeezed it.  "Videl." he winced through the pain, "you.you have to.finish this.  You can.do it!"

            Videl felt a steady surge of energy as Goku's hand glowed.  He was giving her his energy.  

            "Don't do this Goku," Dende screamed.  "You don't have the energy to spare!  You'll die!"

            Goku smiled and tried to laugh through the pain.  Videl noted how hauntingly similar the smile was to Vegeta's.  "If I don't, none of us will get out of here alive."

            Goku shrugged off Dende's healing powers, "I'll be fine.  Help out Gohan."

            Dende started to protest, but Goku silenced him as he shouted, "Do it!"

            Dende did as he was commanded, focusing all of his remaining power on Gohan.

Videl's energy surged from the small amount of energy that Goku gave her.  "Do you really think I have a chance?"

            Goku nodded through his concentration.  "Vegeta will do what he.needs to," he said.  "It should be.enough."

            The steady stream of energy began to abate as Goku's grip on her arm began to weaken.  The aura around his hand was dimmer than before and continued to diminish until finally, it was no more.  Goku's hand dropped from her arm as he slipped into unconsciousness.

            Dalron struck first.  He leapt at Vegeta as he screamed in rage.  He sliced Vegeta's midsection and cut deeply.  Vegeta struck back at point-blank range.  The energy that he held was released fully into Dalron.  Blue waves of energy ripped through Dalron, disintegrating the remaining stumps of his wings and took his one useless arm.  Dalron pressed against the force of the attack intent on surviving by sheer force of will alone.  He sliced at Vegeta again through the waves of energy and scored another hit.  Vegeta dropped to one knee as he angled the attack upward, finally blowing Dalron away from him.  Then, his energy spent, he involuntarily powered down and slipped into unconsciousness.  Dalron landed on one knee, his face a bloody mess and most of his hair was burned away.  He painfully brought his head up and looked at the still form of Vegeta on the ground.

            "I.still.stand!"          

            The sound of the lock coming loose was music to Piccolo's ears.  Bulma jumped out of her cell and hugged Piccolo.

"You did it!"

"Great," 18 exclaimed, "now get us out of here!"

With Bulma's help Piccolo started on 18's cell door.

Videl look back from Goku over to Vegeta and then to Dalron.  His reserves were depleted and he could barely stand.  She on the other hand felt invigorated and ready for the fight.  Her eyes glanced over at Dende who was hard at work trying to keep her beloved, Gohan, stable.  Sweat poured from his brow as he strained to keep Gohan alive.  Dende's eyes were clamped shut in concentration and she could tell that he wouldn't be able to keep up much longer.  Everyone tried so hard to get to this point, and she wasn't going to let it end now.  She calmly stepped forward in Dalron's direction as she began to raise her ki.

Dalron felt her power signature and turned toward her.  "Stand down, child.  Your efforts will be in vain."

She heard him but she wasn't listening.  Images of her friends falling in battle flashed through her mind, culminating with the lone image of Gohan dying just a few yards away from her.  Her anger flared as did her power.  Her aura sparked to life around her, casting the rubble around her in an eerie silver light.  Sparks danced across her eyes and electrical discharges pulsed through her hair.  She met his hard glare with her own.

"So be it," he nodded.  

Dalron extended his good arm and the wicked, curved sword flashed into existence in his hand.  He crouched in an offensive position as his aura exploded into life.  He blurred and attacked.

Videl caught the blade between her hands and strained against the powerful warrior.  Even though he only had one arm he was still very strong.  She slapped the blade away and leapt back as he swung the sword out in a wide arc.  The tip of the blade sliced through the ends of her hair on her forehead.  She landed and lunged forward with an outstretched fist.  Dalron quickly brought the sword to him and her fist smashed into the sword's guard right above the hilt.  The force of the blow knocked him back a few feet but he stood his ground and the tracks in the dirt from his boots were evidence of her power.  She slowly recoiled her fist and waited for the next attack.  He came in low, thrusting the sword down between her legs and slashed upwards, intent on cutting her in two.  She jumped forward and flipped over him as he sliced upward with his sword.  The moment she felt her feet touch the ground she leaned back and sent both elbows into Dalron's ribcage, causing him to stumble forward.  She leapt backward, somersaulting over him and was right in front of him as he stumbled into her.  She locked her arms under his as he fell into her and she arched her back, using his momentum against him.  She heaved and lifted him off the ground.  As she arched back she released him throwing him across the room.  Dalron tumbled through the air but was able to keep his balance enough for him to land on his feet.barely.

Videl ran over to Dalron and jumped, kicking him twice before he brought his sword up to block.  As she landed she followed through with a flurry of punches.  Dalron ducked and blocked the blows but Videl was able to tell that his movements weren't as fluid and as sure as before.  Her fast jabs quickly got under his defenses and landed telling blows on his body.  Dalron was forced to back off from her furious assault.  

"You.have been trained.well," Dalron huffed.  "Your power is great, and I can see that Vegeta had a hand in your training."

"Correct," she stated in an emotionless tone.

"But it's not enough," he snarled as he attacked.

            He moved with blinding speed, as he brought his blade to bear in a wide arc across Videl's face.  The blade hissed and hummed as it sliced through the air.  Videl ducked under the powerful attack and sidestepped the follow-through.  The blade appeared everywhere around her as she dodged and blocked.  Several cuts broke through her defenses but the cuts were only superficial.  Dalron swung down with all of his power and the blade slammed deep into the ground a split-second after Videl moved.  She thrust out with an open palm, aiming for the direct center of the sword.  The impact of the blow shattered the blade as if it were made of glass.  Small shards of metal whizzed through the air, slicing both Dalron and Videl alike.  She advanced while Dalron protected his face from the flying scraps of metal with his only arm.  Videl punched him in the gut, forcing the air out of his lungs.  He lurched forward from the impact, and received a boot across the face, which sent him sprawling to the floor.  She leaped into the air and sent a volley of ki blasts down on Dalron.  

            Dalron brought his arm up and deflected every blast that came at him.  He took his time getting up, shifting most of his weight on his left leg.  Videl hovered above him taunting him to attack.  Dalron screamed in rage and leapt toward her.  The ground where he stood exploded in reaction to his power!  Videl shifter her aura and collected it where she gauged Dalron would strike.  Her power shimmered and convalesced in front of her chest.  Dalron punched straight out, intending to skewer her.  The sound of the impact was almost deafening, but her shield held.  

            "It's not enough huh?" she asked without emotion.

            Dalron gritted his broken teeth and was going to use his remaining strength to blast his way through but her boot crashed into his stomach, forcing the air out of his lungs.  She followed suit with a vicious backhand that sent him crashing to the ground.

            "When will you people learn?  Why can't you just leave us alone?"

            Dalron blurred to safety a split second before the crater he laid in exploded.  He tried to outmaneuver her in the space between seconds, but she matched his every move and attacked, keeping Dalron off balance.  She low kicked his bad knee causing him to slow down and stumble to the ground.  He skid across the ground, smashing through several protrusions of rock before stopping.  Videl leapt to the air and came down with all her power concentrated in her right heel that was zeroed in on Dalron's face.   Dalron caught her foot with his hand and strained.  It was a test of pure strength against raw power.  Both Videl and Dalron grunted against each other's efforts.  

            Dalron screamed as he twisted Videl's leg quick and hard.  Now it was Videl's turn to scream.  She heard as well as felt the sickening snap of her foot; there was pain and then it went numb.  She fell to the ground screaming and clutching her broken foot.

            "It's my turn," he growled.

Part II continues...


	25. The Final Battle Concluded!

"That's it," Piccolo sighed in relief as Yaumcha's cell opened.  They were all free now; 18 and Bulma had just finished deciphering the code to get the entrance doors open.

            The doors hissed to life and slid open.  "Let's go," Piccolo commanded.

            They didn't make three steps out the door before they all stopped and stared at the horror that lay before them.  There was desolation everywhere.  Piccolo felt the low energy signatures of Goku, Gohan, Trunks, Goten and Vegeta and began to sweat.  The battle had not gone as well as planned and there was still no sign of The Grand Kai or Krillin.  

            "Vegeta!" Bulma screamed as she ran toward her fallen husband.

            "Where's Krillin?" 18 asked in alarm.

            "Goku!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

            The span of a second was all the time Piccolo needed to assess the situation.  Videl was hurt and the others were hovering at death's door while Dende was overtaxing himself with Gohan.  They made their way to Dende's position right as the wall behind them exploded.  Everyone except Dende turned and powered up.  The dust cleared revealing a battered and broken Grand Kai and Krillin!

            "How's it goin'?" The Grand Kai asked with a dirty smile.

            "We got 'em!" Krillin exclaimed, "We got the dragonballs!"

            "Not a moment too soon," Piccolo growled.  He looked up and smiled.  Dusty starlight greeted him.  The mountain had taken enough damage to blast away most of the top, giving them a chance to call on Shenlon!

            "Quick!  Get the dragonballs ready," Piccolo ordered.

            Videl doubled over in pain from Dalron's vicious kick to her midsection.  He kicked her again and heard one of her ribs snap.  Undeterred, he kicked her again and again.  More ribs broke.

            "You should not have got in my way," he said as he kicked her.  "Perhaps you will learn that valuable lesson in the next life."

            Videl winced in agony.  The pain was nearly unbearable and it was getting almost impossible for her to breathe.  She opened her eyes and saw Dalron in a blurry haze.  She felt his foot connect hard to the side of her face.  She skidded across the ground, breaking through several piles of rock and rubble before stopping.  He's killing me, she thought.  Bone by bone, he's killing me.

            Gohan drifted out of unconsciousness and could barely make out the voices of his friends in excited conversation.  At first he thought it was a dream, but their voices didn't fade away.  Then he heard a scream, a familiar scream, Videl's scream.  Then she screamed again and again.

            "Videl," he muttered weakly.  He tried to move his arms and his whole body exploded in pain.

            "Stay still," Dende commanded in shock and fatigue.

            "Dende?  Where...where's...Videl?"

            "Getting killed," was his quick reply.

            "I have...to...save..."

            "You can't," Dende said angrily, "You're dying and I'm the only one here right now trying to prevent that!"

            Gohan forced his eyes open.  The white light of Dende's healing powers washed over him, warm and inviting.  His hearing dulled.  He could make out Dende talking to him but he couldn't understand him.  Videl's getting killed?  Dalron!  I have to save her!

            Gohan focused on the pain.  He moved every muscle he could and got searing responses of pain and agony back.  Good, he thought, that means they'll work.  He forced his right leg to move.  The tendons and muscles protested with pain but he willed them to move and, slowly, they did.  His right leg moved!  The pain was strong enough to make him want to pass out, but he wouldn't...he couldn't.  Not now...sleep later...have all the time...in the world...to rest...but not...now!  His other leg moved.  Dende was screaming at Gohan now, but he didn't care.  Dende tried to force Gohan from moving by using his own weight against him but Gohan's will was stronger.  He got up to his knees and shoved Dende away.  Dalron and Videl came sharply into focus in his sight.  From out of nowhere Gohan's aura flared to life!

            Piccolo sensed the sharp rise in Gohan's ki.  He grabbed Dende's arm, "Let him go."

            "But," Dende protested, "he won't make it!"

            "I know, but we need your help to summon the dragon.  You're the only one who can do it."

            Dende tried unsuccessfully to fight back his tears of frustration.  He lowered his head in resignation, "All right Piccolo, let's do it!"

            Anger overrode the pain Gohan felt as he took a step closer to Videl and Dalron.  His aura spiked higher after every step.  You won't take her away from me again, the thought repeated in his mind over and over.  

            In the red haze of Videl's vision she thought she saw a figure coming towards her.  Her right arm was broken in two places and her right leg still worked, but barely.  She would be dead long before her collapsed lung became fatal.  She reeled from a backhand and tumbled to the floor.  C'mon Videl, she thought to herself, fight!  Do it for Gohan or you won't see him again!

            She was dimly aware of Dalron standing over her.  He grabbed her and lifted her up to her feet.  He kneed her in the midsection causing her to cough up blood.  He did it again making her spit up even more.  His knee came up again but she caught it with her good hand.  Dalron was momentarily surprised by the block and she capitalized by head butting him in the face.  He staggered back and got a fist in the stomach, and then across the face; the force of the blow sent him reeling to the ground.

            "I'm...not...finished...yet," she grated through labored breaths.

            She crouched in a defensive position as Dalron slowly got up.  "You...you still...got...some fight left in you," he breathed in pain.  "Good."

            He came at her wildly and she ducked under his wide swing and wrapped her arm around his midsection.  She heaved back and picked up Dalron.  She fell to the ground, still with Dalron in tow.  His face crashed into the ground but she didn't release him.  She picked him up and backdropped him again.  She released him and got back in her defensive stance.  Suddenly the world around her lit up in green fire.  Dalron outstretched his hand and sent a powerful ki blast at her from point-blank range.  She didn't have the power to block it and took the full brunt of the attack.  The explosion knocked her off her feet and she crashed to the ground in a heap.

            "Not bad," Dalron said, "but I can't be beaten."  His outstretched hand glowed with another powerful ki blast, powerful enough to disintegrate Videl.  He released the attack and it flew inexorably toward Videl.

            The attack hit and exploded with great force.  Smoke and dust obscured Dalron's vision but he was sure that was the end of it.  Now to finish the job, he thought.  The smoke cleared slowly and Dalron's eyes widened in shock as he could make out a shadowy figure standing in front of Videl.  It was Gohan!

            "You," Dalron exclaimed in disbelief, "You're supposed to be dead!"

            "I'm happy to disappoint you."  Gohan's smoking hand recoiled back to his side, telling Dalron how he stopped the attack from reaching its true target.

            Videl coughed, spitting up more blood.  Gohan looked at her battered and broken body and felt the rage well up within him.  He turned toward Dalron.  "The people of this world did nothing to you to deserve this.  You're no better than Frieza or Cell."

            Dalron said nothing; instead he gathered what energy he could to prepare for another attack.  "You know nothing of me," Dalron replied finally, "or my kind.  My race was destroyed by yours, so don't presume to point faults at me."  The longer he stalled the more power he could gather.

            "You have become what you hate," Gohan spat.  "You're worse because you are weak.  You could have used your powers to do a lot of good in the galaxy but you let your hatred consume you."

            "Weak," Dalron shouted angrily, "I'll show you who's weak!"

            Dalron pointed his finger at Gohan.  A small ball of light materialized at the end of his finger and began to hum and grow.  Gohan crouched down and began to gather his energy.  Both Dalron and Gohan's auras flared to life, bathing the ruins in white-hot light.  Gohan's hair shifted from black to golden blond as his aura shifted from white to gold.

            "KA...ME..."  The blue ball of energy erupted to life in his hand.

            "The dragonballs are in place," Dende said as Krillin laid down the last dragonball.  

            Piccolo and 18 turned to see the showdown between Gohan and Dalron.  "Hurry Dende," Piccolo said, "our time is running out!"

            Dende closed his eyes and folded his hands in prayer and began chanting.

            Vegeta fluttered back from unconsciousness.  He opened his eyes and they slowly focused on the bright eyes of his wife.  He smiled weakly to her.  "Vegeta," she exclaimed happily, "You're okay!"

            "Help me up," he said softly.  

            Gently, she helped him to his feet.  She put his arm over her shoulder and gave him enough support to stand.  He looked around until his eyes finally settled down on the showdown between Gohan and Dalron.  He saw Videl stir and smiled through bloody lips.  "Not bad, kid.  I knew he couldn't beat you!"  He started to laugh and the pain came back, but he couldn't stop.

            Videl was up to her knee, close enough to the emerging Kamehameha Wave to feel its searing heat. She grasped Gohan's clothes and used his weight to pick herself up.  The warmth radiating from his body was hotter than that given off by the Kamehameha Wave.

            "Now I can kill you both in one shot," Dalron roared as his energy beam continued to grow.  

            "Videl," Gohan started.

            She wrapped her arms around him, "Not this time," she whispered, "I'm not leaving your side, my love; never again."

            Gohan nodded.  They were together now and forever, no matter what the cost would be.  Her love enveloped him, replacing the pain he felt with warmth.  Her dwindling power combined with his and they were one.  Her silver aura flickered and danced over his.  Together they would make their stand.

"HA...ME..." they now chanted in unison as the wave got bigger.

"Come to us, Shenlon!" Dende exclaimed as he finished his chanting.  The dragonballs glowed and fire erupted from them, shooting upward towards the sky.  Dark clouds billowed and lightning streaked across the sky, followed by the roar of the great Shenlon.  The Eternal Dragon had arrived!

Rubble and debris twirled around the space where Dalron and the two lovers faced off.  Lightning streaked across the short space between them as their auras clashed and fought against the other.  The wind howled and swirled around them, as if the planet itself was protesting against what was happening.  The ground shook violently and huge chunks of earth disintegrated or were thrown up high into the air.  Dalron's eye was wide in exaltation with the amount of power that was given off.  

"Do you feel it," he screamed.  "Your deaths approach!"

Dalron used every last bit of energy he had, screamed, and released the beam.  It streaked across the open space heading for its intended targets.

"HA!" both Gohan and Videl cried as he brought his hand forth and released the Kamehameha Wave.  The wave streamed through the air and impacted against Dalron's beam and held it in place!  The ground around the impact disintegrated into nothingness as the two energies fought against the other for dominance.

Dalron strained to hold the beam together.  The combined might of both Gohan and Videl was enough to place him in check in his weakened state.  He grunted in effort to put forth more energy that he didn't have.  Instead he used his own life force to add more power to the beam.  The beam started to inch closer toward Gohan and Videl, slowly and surely.

The long, snake-like form of Shenlon hovered above the ruins that used to be the mountain.  His red eyes glowed with power!  "Why have you summoned me?" he bellowed in a deep voice as he glanced over the familiar group.

Piccolo looked over at Dende, "Let's make things right."

Dende nodded.

Gohan and Videl struggled to keep their power flowing.  Dalron was still stronger!  The beam slowly inched closer.

"I can't hold on," Videl yelled.  "I'm losing too much power!"

"Hang in there," he yelled back.  "We're not through yet!"

Videl heard his words and believed in them but her body had sustained too many injuries to work properly.  The constant strain of pushing herself beyond her boundaries, and coupled with her injuries were taking a heavy toll on her.  She leaned against Gohan using his mass and weight to keep her up since her legs refused to support her.  She was getting lightheaded and it was getting harder for her to focus.  She gave it everything she had even though she was getting weaker and weaker.  The beam relentlessly pushed forward, the heat given off by the two attacks was beginning to make the remains of their clothes smolder and steam.  

Dalron could feel victory within his grasp.  He sacrificed more of his life force to his beam making it push harder and faster toward its goal.  "Give up," he taunted, "You can't defeat me!"

Gohan grunted against the reinforced beam as it got closer.  He could feel Videl's limp body against his back.  He felt her warm blood running down his neck.  The beam was almost upon them and Videl was fading fast.

"I...," she said weakly.

"Don't leave me Videl," he pleaded, "we can beat him!"

"I...love...you..." she said as she slipped away into unconsciousness.

"No!  Come back to me Videl!  I need you!"

That's when it happened.  Something snapped inside of Gohan.  He let out a scream of rage and pain so loud that even Shenlon was forced to turn in his direction.  His muscle mass increased as his aura spiked.  He involuntarily assumed super saiyan level 2 in his mystic form!  Videl was thrown back from the force of his transformation.  His scream continued as he poured forth his rage and pain into the Kamehameha Wave.  The Wave double and then tripled in size!  Dalron's beam slowed to a halt and then began retreating under the awesome power of Gohan's might!

Dalron knew then that he was beaten.  The impossible had occurred and soon the saiyan's attack would overwhelm him and there was nothing he could do about it.  Even at full strength he doubted if he could absorb or deflect such an attack.  The saiyans were going to win!  Still, even in death, if he could get rid of one more saiyan before he died then he would have at least accomplished something.  The Kamehameha Wave was easily overtaking Dalron's beam.  For a brief moment Dalron reflected on his homeworld and the plight of his people.  The image of Kaltara's lovely face appeared in his mind.  I'll be with you soon my love, he thought as he closed his eye.  He jerked his outstretched hand causing the beam to fly out of the path of the Kamehameha Wave.  It bounced over the Wave back on course towards Gohan.  Gohan didn't have any time to react.

Their attacks struck simultaneously.  Dalron opened his arm wide in acceptance with oblivion.  The Wave enveloped him and disintegrated him while still flying out towards the heavens.  Dalron was no more.  Dalron's beam struck Gohan directly in the head, turning everything white in the explosion.  The remains of the mountain and the surrounding countryside were enveloped in a mushroom cloud of fire and death that spanned for miles in every direction.  The ground split open and earthquakes would be felt thousands of miles away.  

The mushroom cloud slowly lifted to the night sky.  As the dust settled in the massive crater where the mountain range used to be Shenlon still hovered, undisturbed by the blast.  The shield over the group shimmered away into nothingness.

"What is your second wish?"

"Bring back to life everyone who was killed by Dalron and his men," Dende commanded.

"Your wish is granted."  Shenlon's eyes glowed and then beams of red light shot from them.  The beams struck the night sky and blanketed outward, encompassing the entire planet.

"What is your last wish?"

"Heal us of our injuries.  If you don't, some of us may still die before we can get healed."

"I can only heal physical injuries," Shenlon warned, "Injuries sustained to the mind are harder to cure and require one wish per person restored."

Dende looked confused for a moment, but one look at Videl, Goku, Trunks, or Vegeta gave him all the reason he needed.  "That is fine.  Please heal us before it's too late!"

"Your wish is granted," Shenlon said.  "Now I must go rest."

Small sparkles of golden light appeared around the group, healing their injuries and rejuvenating them.  With a roar, Shenlon exploded into bright light and the dragonballs took off for the distant corners of the earth.  

The battle was, at last, over.

See you in the Epilogue!


	26. Epilogue

Videl awoke instantly and was surprised at the absence of pain she felt, in fact, she felt wonderful!  She ran over to Gohan's side who appeared to be in a deep sleep.  She cradled his head in her lap and gently stroked his brow.  They were together again and for all time.  No one would come between them, not even her father!

"I sense Tien and Yajirobe.  They're alive," Piccolo exclaimed.  "They're at The Lookout."

"Well, what are we doing standing around here for?" Vegeta asked.  "Let's get out of here."

"Are you all right?" Chi-Chi asked Goku.

Goku stared off into the night sky.  The others were happy to be alive and with their loved ones and friends.  He was glad to be with Chi-Chi again but something was nagging in the back of his mind.  Instead of feeling happy he still felt angry, and a little depressed.

"Goku?" Chi-Chi pressed, "What's wrong?"

            "I...I don't know," he said.  He took in a deep breath before continuing, "I...I need some time to clear my head, that's all."

            "We won Goku!"  She hugged her husband gently, "And we're together again.  I thought I lost you for good this time!"

            "Yeah, me too."  He hugged her back, but his eyes never left the star-filled sky.

              Vegeta noticed Goku's stare and easily read his demeanor.  "Hey, Kakarot!"

            "What is it Vegeta?"

            "Are you going to let Videl carry your son back to The Lookout?  I wouldn't let him live it down, you know," he said angrily.

            "Hey!  What's wrong with that?"

            "Stay out of this Videl," Vegeta warned, the tone of his voice was that of instructor again not as one of her teammates.  

            Goku allowed himself to smile a little.  "I guess your right Vegeta.  He wouldn't be able to show his face around Capsule Corp. while you were around."  He turned to Videl.  "Will you help me carry him back to The Lookout?  I'll have my hands full carrying Chi-Chi."  He leaned closer to Videl and whispered, "Besides, I don't think he'd mind."

            Videl smiled and nodded.  Vegeta's voice suddenly appeared in her head.  My apologies, but something is bothering Kakarot and I had to shake him out of it.  She glanced over at Vegeta's direction and nodded, still smiling.

            The Z warriors left the crater and headed toward The Lookout and their friends.  On the way, The Grand Kai said his goodbyes, saying that he was needed back in the Spirit Realm.  Everyone thanked him for his help and waved goodbye as he disappeared.  

            Tien and Yajirobe were waiting for the heroes at The Lookout just like Piccolo sensed.  Hugs and congratulations went around and a general sigh of relief was felt by all now that the battle was over.  Videl was getting a little concerned since Gohan had not awakened yet.  Dende took a look at him and couldn't find anything wrong with him, mentally or physically.  He attributed it to overexertion, and said that he should be okay after a full day's rest.  

            The Z warrior reunion lasted well into the morning and by that time everyone was tired and they all headed for home.  Videl elected to go home with Goku and his family to care for Gohan who slept through the entire night.  She stayed by his bed for the next day and there was still no change in him.  Now she was very worried.

            Vegeta showed up the next day with Dende who spent four hours going over Gohan with his powers to find what was wrong.  Videl stayed by Gohan's side and waited impatiently for Dende to finish.  Finally, he completed the examination.  Dende's eyes told Videl how serious the situation was.

            "What's wrong with him?"

            Dende frowned in concern, "Go get Goku and Chi-Chi.  They'll want to hear this too."

            Videl did as she was ordered and soon the whole Son family and even Vegeta crammed into Gohan's bedroom.

            "How's he doing?" Chi-Chi asked tentatively, noting the look of frustration on Dende's face.

            "I'm afraid my initial examination with Gohan was wrong," he explained.

            "What do you mean wrong?" Videl asked fearfully.  Chi-Chi, Goten and Videl held each others hands for support as they waited for a further explanation.

            Dende exhaled slowly before continuing.  "Upon further examination I can say with certainty that Gohan has slipped into a coma."

            "A coma!" everyone exclaimed.

            "Why?" asked Chi-Chi.

            "How?" Videl asked, her eyes misting over with tears.

            "How long?" Goku asked.

            "Let Dende speak," Vegeta shouted.

            Everyone quieted down giving Dende the room to speak.  "First of all, I don't know how long the coma will last.  It could be a couple of hours, days, or even weeks.  Next, how he got it: I can only guess that his psyche suffered some severe trauma in the last moments before Shenlon put up that protective shield over us.  Third: I don't know what type or the extent of mental damage that he suffered.  He may not have suffered any at all, the saiyan physiology repairs itself at a phenomenal rate and if he is close to death the body shuts down all non-essential functions and focuses on the area that needs the most attention.  The process can take up to a week but the saiyan comes back at full health.  We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

            Everyone digested the information that Dende told them.  Chi-Chi and Videl were fighting back tears and both Goku and Vegeta had grim expressions on their faces.

            "What you say is true about our healing process," Vegeta remarked, "but there are times when it isn't enough."

            "Gohan will pull through," Dende said with conviction.  "He just needs time for his mind to repair itself.  I'm sorry but there isn't anything else I can do."

            Dende exchanged apologetic glances with Goku and Chi-Chi and excused himself.  Chi-Chi and Goku both put their hands on Videl's shoulders to reassure her.  She gripped them back, thankful for their company.  "Can I stay here for a while longer?" she asked Goku and Chi-Chi with teary eyes.

            "Stay for as long as you want," Chi-Chi replied.

            "You're always welcome here," Goku said with a smile.

            "Allow me the courtesy of informing Mr. Satan of the past events," Vegeta said with a hint of mischief, "I'm sure he'll be happy to see me."  Vegeta's eyes glistened at the thought of seeing Mr. Satan's face, and for a moment he felt like his old self again.

            "No," Videl said standing up from the bed, "I'll tell him.  He'll have to know everything eventually, and I should be the one to break the news.  All of it."

            "He won't take it very well," Vegeta warned, a bit upset that he didn't get her permission to tell him personally.

            "I'll handle it," she replied.

            "We'll leave the light on for you," Goku said.  "Come back whenever you're ready."

            "Thank you," she said meekly.  For some reason she felt vulnerable in Goku's presence.  Then it hit her: he's changed.  Vegeta was right, there was something bothering Goku.

            "At least allow me to escort you home," Vegeta said.  Videl nodded at the strange request and got her things together, and then they left.

            Vegeta and Videl powered up as they got out of the house and took to the air.  For a while they traveled in silence until Vegeta spoke.

            "What?  Why do you keep looking at me?"

            She flinched at the harshness of his voice but quickly recovered herself.  "I want to know what's bothering you.  It's Goku, isn't it?"

            Vegeta was silent for a time before he finally spoke, "So, you noticed it too?"

            "He seems...I don't know...different."

            "Yes.  I felt the change within him when we fought Dalron.  He was Dalron's thrall and was forced to do unspeakable things.  For a heart as pure as Kakarot's that must have been a heavy burden to bear.  Gohan might also suffer the same burden of conscience when he wakes up.  They will have to learn to live with the knowledge of what they had done.  I live with mine.  They will need to be strong or else it will tear them up inside.  I will try to help Goku if I can.  I would expect you to help Gohan deal with his if the need arises."

            Videl was a bit surprised at his honest admission.  "Why would you help him?"

            "Because he is a friend," he said matter-of-factly.  "Besides, I owe him."

            "That's not the only thing bothering you, is it?"

            Vegeta frowned as he looked at her.  She was getting almost as good as Bulma at detecting his hidden emotions, it was damn annoying!  I trained her too well, he thought.  "No, it isn't," he sighed.

            Videl realized she must have struck a nerve so she continued cautiously, "Want to talk about it?"

            "Not particularly," he snapped back, "but, if it will cease your endless string of questions I will!"

            She blushed from the scolding and remained quiet as Vegeta started.  "The battle with Dalron was close.  Too close for comfort.  It made me think about what other beings out there in the galaxy may be after me.  My past arrogance almost cost me my life and the lives of the people I have grown to care about.  As a warrior I must always be prepared for battle, no matter the odds I am up against or how outmatched I may be.  That rule was burned into me at an early age and I lived my life by it until recently.  Kakarot himself taught me through his words and deeds that a warrior is much more than what I was taught.  His concepts of honor and determination in the face of insurmountable odds became pillars of inspiration for me.  For the past few years I have been trying to live my life with the virtues that he holds so dear.  It changed me more than I would like to admit, but for the better.  The final showdown with Buu was the changing point for me.  That was the beginning of my new training.  Since then I have become a new man.  The old Vegeta died the day Buu was defeated.  Now when Dalron shows up the shade of my former self arrived as well.  Dalron was a reflection of me, of what I was.  The past was something I tried to forget, but it did not forget me.  We almost paid the ultimate price for that.  In truth, I have become soft in the past few years.  I had grown...comfortable...with my surroundings and my family.  Now, confronted with my past and all the evil I had committed, I am at another turning point in my life.  Do I stay on the path that I once walked and sacrifice the love of my family and friends to be more secure and prepared if this situation arises again, or do I stay on that path that was shown to me by my former enemy, a path that has brought me happiness and joy for the first time in my life?  Which path do I choose?"

            Videl was silent for a long time as she thought about what he said.  Finally she came up with an answer, "I think you already chose the path you want to take."

            "What do you mean?"

            "During our training you went out of your way to make me confront my feelings for Gohan.  You made me face my fears and doubts honestly.  If I didn't, I thought you would've killed me!"

            Vegeta closed his eyes and smiled at the memory.  "Heh, you're right, I would have."

            "You showed me that love was stronger than anything else.  Then you pushed me past my limits by testing my love for Gohan by threatening to kill him."

            "I remember," he said dryly.

            "Then you were willing to sacrifice yourself when you rescued me from inside of Gohan's mind.  Then you went further by offering yourself to Dalron in exchange for the lives of us all."

            "So what?" he asked harshly.

            "For someone who's always talking about a warrior's code and ethics you sure have a deep devotion to your friends and family when it comes down to it."

            "How does that answer my question?" he asked getting irritated.

            "Your path is your own Vegeta, just as it always has.  There isn't anything you wouldn't do for the people you care about, even Goku."

            Vegeta grumbled something under his breath that sounded at best, noncommittal.  "Am I right?" she pressed.

            "Shut up," he said darkly.

            The pair flew the rest of the way in silence, Videl grinned in spite of herself while Vegeta frowned.

            They arrived at Hercule Satan's doorstep and were welcomed in by him.  He was overjoyed to see his daughter but the joy was dampened by Vegeta's presence.  She quickly told her father what had happened, leaving out the part of when she entered Gohan's mind.  Vegeta noticed but didn't say anything.  After her tale was finished a long silence passed as Mr. Satan digested the incredible story.  He took it rather well considering, Vegeta thought, as The World's Champion fainted!  They carried him to a couch and Videl fanned him until he awoke.  She told him the story again (slower this time) and asked if there was anything he could do to help.

            "I still don't approve of this at all," he declared sternly.  "I always told you that they'd be trouble!"  He glared at Vegeta with a father's hate and a hint of fear.

            "It's not you decision to make," Vegeta shot back, "It's hers."

            Hercule flinched at Vegeta's tone and looked back at his daughter.  The pleading look on her face was enough to make him realize how wrong he was.  He sighed and bowed his head in resignation to Vegeta.  "I'm sorry, you're right.  It is my daughter's decision, and I must honor it.  I just want what's best for her."

            Vegeta nodded, "I understand, as one father to another, but they have already chosen for good or ill."

            "I still love you dad," she said in a quivering voice, "that will never change.  I've been trying to tell you that Gohan is a wonderful person and so are the others.  Gohan makes me happy, happier than I've ever been in my life!"

            Hercule closed his eyes in thought for a moment then he slammed his fists together.  "Okay!  I accept you decision and I'll try to track down the best minds in medicine to help him, and then you'll have the largest wedding ever when he recovers!"

            Videl was ecstatic at the news.  She hugged her father so tightly that she choked him and Vegeta had to pry her off of him.  Hercule insisted that they stay the night which they reluctantly accepted.  They ate and talked away most of the night (Hercule and Videl did most of the talking) and slept until almost noon.  They said their goodbyes and left for the Son household, Videl was now full of hope.  They took off waving until they disappeared high in the sky.

            "That went better than expected," Vegeta remarked as they flew through the air.

            She nodded but she looked at him questioningly, "Why did you escort me home?  You didn't have to, you know."

            "I know," he replied and then he sighed, "I..."

            Videl waited in silence.  But the explanation wasn't forthcoming.  "Well?" she pressed.

            Vegeta bristled at her constant pressing but he continued, "Aside for seeing your father's face when you told him everything that happened I had another motive."

            "Which was?"

            "You're one of us now," he said simply, "And given the situation you might have needed my help."

            She didn't really understand what he said, she hoped he didn't mean the way she took it, but she didn't press the matter.

            "You did well under my training, but that was only a beginning."

            "What do you mean?"

            "You are still a child," he replied in his condescending tone, "you still need to grow.  With Gohan you will be more complete, but your training must never end and it never will as long as we are around.  This ordeal has changed you.  More will come, will you be prepared for them?"

            She nodded, unsure how to answer his question.

            "Good," he said in his stern voice.  The traveled the rest of the way in silence.

            It was dark and raining heavily by the time they got back (they would have got there sooner but they had to save a sinking ship, rescue some hostages in a bank robbery and, to tip it off, they had to rescue a bunch of cats from a burning building).  The door to the Son house was open and lights could be seen from inside.  Videl and Vegeta landed at the doorstep and entered.  There they saw Chi-Chi holding her head in her hands crying.

            "What's wrong?" Videl asked.

            She looked up at Videl with sad eyes.  "He...he's awake," she stammered through tears.

            Videl was taken aback in shock and elation.  "Where is he?"

            "He went outside," she said still crying.

            Videl took off immediately, not hearing Chi-Chi's words of warning.  Vegeta took a step in her direction to go after her but Chi-Chi gripped his arm to stop him.

            "Wait," she pleaded, "there's something else."

            "What?" he asked impatiently, then the realization hit him.  "Kakarot," he said quietly.

            Chi-Chi nodded and began crying harder.

            "Where is he?" Vegeta asked, trying to ask gently but not doing a good job at it.

            "He left me again," she wailed, "He hasn't been the same since we got back."  She sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.  "Would...would you find him and talk to him for me?" she asked meekly.

            Vegeta sighed and nodded.  Chi-chi buried her face in her hands again and cried.  For a moment Vegeta gave her a look of sympathy and then he was gone.

            This is not good, Vegeta thought to himself as he homed in on Goku's Ki signature.  He wasn't hard to locate since he wasn't attempting to hide his power.  Vegeta landed several miles away from the Son house high in the surrounding mountain range.  The rain was still coming down hard and lightning flashed across the sky.  There in a small valley in the mountains was a lake.  Goku was there sitting next to it, staring into the lake.  Vegeta landed behind him and stared at him in silence for a few seconds.  Goku sat there unmoving, either unaware or uncaring of the raging storm around him.

            "What do you want Vegeta?" Goku asked darkly.

            "It's not like you to run away," he replied as he took a few steps closer to Goku.

            "I'm not running," he spat back angrily.

            "Then what do you call this?" Vegeta pressed still walking forward.

            "I just need some time to think."

            "Do you believe you have that luxury?" Vegeta asked, anger rising his voice.  "Do you know what happened to your son?  Do you care?"

            "Of course I do," he answered, "but he'll have to figure that out on his own."

            "Some father you are," Vegeta exclaimed.

            "I don't need to hear that coming from you," he said darkly.

            "Well, someone has to say it!  Videl and Gohan both could use your help right now.  But will they get it?  No!  You're too busy feeling sorry for yourself to do anyone any good!"

            Vegeta involuntarily closed his eyes and took a step back from the brightness that emanated from Goku as he went super saiyan.  "Don't you DARE speak to me that way!  You were the one who always quit!  What kind of warrior does that make you?"

            Vegeta felt his own anger rise and he went super saiyan as well.  He felt Goku's power and it was still rising, so he did the same.  "My family means everything to me!  I can't run away from that!"

            The rain swirled around them as their auras began striking against the other.  "It's your fault that he came," Goku screamed in rage.  "It's because of you that I had to kill innocent people!"

            "Get over it," Vegeta replied.  "It's over!"

            "No it isn't!  It will never be over!" Goku screamed as he punched the ground, splitting it.  Earth ruptured and a large crevice opened up and continued on through the lake, empting it and splitting the mountain.

            "So what are you going to do about it?" Vegeta asked harshly.

            Goku screamed in rage and anguish as lightning and thunder rolled across the landscape.  Then the sound was dwarfed by a large explosion as Goku attacked Vegeta.  His fist landed squarely across Vegeta's left cheek.  He accepted the blow, but did not move.

            "Damn you!" Goku exclaimed in hatred.

            Vegeta's mouth was full of his own blood and he spat it out (along with a tooth) after Goku retracted his fist.  "Will that help?" he asked.  "Will killing me end your pain?"

            Goku's aura flared in anger but he lowered his fists.  "No," he replied.

            "There wasn't anything you could have done."

            "I wasn't strong enough," Goku said emphatically.  "I should have been stronger!"

            "That excuse won't work.  Your purity and innocence was the weakness that Dalron's poison was able to exploit.  There was no way you could beat it."

            "I tried," Goku muttered, shuddering.  "I tried so hard."  He dropped out of super saiyan form.  Vegeta did the same.

            "You did your best that was enough."

            "No it wasn't.  I killed so many people, so many families!"

            "You held back in our fight," Vegeta said simply.

            Goku stared at Vegeta with wide eyes.  "How did you know?"

            "I didn't at first.  But I could still feel your energy reserves that you held in check.  You wanted me to beat you."

            Goku made no acknowledgement either for or against, he still stared at Vegeta harshly.  Vegeta continued, "In a way you did beat the poison.  By keeping you out of the fight we were able to breach the fortress.  I know your power and what you're capable of.  You could have killed me easily enough, but you didn't.  Am I wrong?"  His eyes bored into Goku, making him flinch.

            "No," he said quietly, reluctantly.  

            "What happened wasn't your fault.  If you want to blame me, fine, I can live with it.  But you know that's not the truth.  You are a saiyan and we are bred to kill.  No matter how hard you try to deny it and push it away it is always there.  It always will be; it is our nature.  Accept it."

            "I can't," Goku protested.

            "But you must.  Or else it will consume you and there won't be anything left except pure instinct.  You will be no better than an animal."

            Goku shuddered at the memory of his bestial attack on Dalron.  "How?  How can I accept something that is so...wrong?"

            "It isn't wrong, it's the way we are.  You use your power to help those around you.  Your ways have always been noble and honorable, never lose sight of that."

            "But," Goku asked hesitantly, "what if...what if it happens again?"

            "You'll be prepared for it," Vegeta answered firmly.  "And you'll rise up to the challenge like you always have."

            "But," he pressed.

            Vegeta waved his hand to stop him.  "You don't have to do this alone.  You have a wife and family that loves you and supports you.  They can help.  It will take time but you will get over this, trust me."

            Goku fell silent even though he still had a million questions to ask.  "Go back to your wife," Vegeta said solemnly, "She misses you."

            "I'm sorry Vegeta," he said quietly.

            "Give it time," he commanded, "I think you'll find that it isn't as hard as you might think."

            "I'll try."

            "Good."

            The two warriors stood there for a moment staring at each other as the rain fell.  Then Goku smiled and thrust out his hand.  Vegeta smiled back and took it.  They shook hands.

            "Thanks for everything Vegeta.  I couldn't have done this without you."

            "Don't tell anyone of this," Vegeta suddenly replied angrily.  "Especially Bulma.  If she finds out there won't be a safe place in the universe for you to hide from me!"

            Goku laughed and nodded, feeling better than he had in a while.  Still the same old Vegeta, he thought.  He took to the air and headed back home.  He had a lot to talk about with Chi-Chi.

            Vegeta watched Goku leave.  Watching him go made him think about Bulma and his own kids.  For a moment he debated on whether or not to go after Videl and Gohan.  He finally decided that Goku was right; it was something that they would have to face for themselves. He took off toward home.  He realized how hungry he was, and, of course, he would have to figure out a way to explain his new bruised cheek to Bulma.  Normally he dreaded these kinds of conversations.  Now he was looking forward to it.

            Videl was too excited to pay attention to her feelings that told her something was wrong.  Gohan's ki signature was easy to home in on, and she streaked through the sky as the rain came down in a torrent.  Lightning flashed in the sky followed by the peals of thunder.  She passed forests and hills, then the realization hit her that he was out for more than a leisurely stroll.  Still her heart was thumping with elation.

            She found Gohan sitting alone on a remote hilltop.  He sat there motionless, oblivious to the raging rain.  She landed a few feet away from him with his back toward her.  Her heart threatened to burst inside her she was so happy and excited!

            Lightning illuminated the scene harshly, casting dark shadows on the hill.  Thunder rumbled, shaking the ground.  Not wanting to be denied any long she ran up to him and embraced him.  She held the embrace for a long time, not saying a word, letting her love for him surround them.  Everything was wonderful again!

            Gohan didn't return the embrace, he just sat there motionless.

            Finally Videl released him, her tears combined with the falling rain.  After a year of waiting and wanting there were finally together again.  

            That's when she felt the change.  The nagging part in the back of her brain was trying to tell her that something was wrong but her own excitement had blinded her to it.  The feeling was strange, like something was...missing.  

            "Gohan," she asked with a hint of concern, "what's wrong?"

            "..."

            His impassive stare seemed to look right through her.  His eyes were fixing on a point far away and yet, at nothing at all.  She kneeled down and stared into his eyes and moved slightly from side to side trying to get him to focus on her, which he finally did.  He looked confusedly at her.

            She smiled at him and drew her face close to his and kissed him passionately.  The past year of training in the Room of Spirit and Time, the longing for him, and the elation of being with Gohan once again all came to a head in her kiss.  Her ki spiked involuntarily at the surge of emotions and longing.  She was breathing heavily when she drew back from him, her face was flushed.

            "Everything's gonna be okay now," she said with a slight tremble.  "I love you, Gohan."

            He blinked once, then again.  Then he spoke.

            "I'm sorry, but I don't know you."

            The only sound was the falling rain, even the thunder stopped.  Videl felt her legs turn into jelly.  In the span of a heartbeat her world was beginning to fall apart.

            "It's me!  Videl!  Don't you remember?"

            He shook his head and then he looked at her strangely, like he was trying to remember something.  "I...I remember a...great battle.  And I have this strange feeling like I should know you, but I don't."

            Shock took complete control over Videl.  Her tears stopped and her body suddenly felt very heavy.  Her mind became a dizzying whirl of thoughts and questions.  "You," she stammered, "you don't remember...anything?" The last part was more of a plead than a question.

            He slowly shook his head.  "I don't even remember who I am.  I can feel this strange energy inside me that I can control.  I don't know how it works, but I seem to be able to remember how to use it."  His tone was emotionless and dry, and if words could be used to the effect: surreal.

            Videl tried to say something but the words got caught inside her throat.  She wanted to make him believe that everything would be all right, that together they could get through this.

            "My name is...Gohan?" he asked.

            Again she tried to speak, but no words came forth.  She nodded meekly instead.

            "And yours is Videl, right?"

            "Yes," she replied quietly.  A small pinpoint of hope still remained if she could just jog his memory, all was not lost yet!  "We've been together for almost two years now.  This past year you and you father, Goku, were being enslaved by an evil warrior from another planet named Dalron.  But together with our other friends, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, Trunks, Goten, 18, Master Roshi, Tien and Yaumcha we were able to rescue you and defeat Dalron.  Do you remember any of it?"

            "I..." he said in frustration, "I can't remember!"

            "You don't remember anything about us?  About...me?"

            He shook his head.

            Videl went into extensive detail going through all the memories and times that they shared, but still he had no recollection of any of it.  

            "I still have this strange feeling about you," he said.  "It's hard to describe, but I think I can feel you inside my head."

            "That's the bond," she replied with a surge of hope in her voice, "our bond.  It shows that we were meant to be together.  It's powered by our love for each other."

            The look of confusion on his face told her that he still didn't understand.  Videl was quickly running out of ideas.  Panic was beginning to take hold as was despair.

            "I..." he said, "I don't know what to do.  I don't know who I am or anything!  I need time to sort this out."

            "Please," she pleaded quietly, her head was downcast, now unable to meet his gaze.  "Don't go.  I can't bear the thought of you being out of my life again!  After everything we've been through..."

             "I can't stay," he said with a hint of sadness.  "I'm sorry, but I must go."

            He stood up and she reached out and clutched his arm in desperation.  "Please," she said again trembling, "don't leave me.  I know we can beat this, but we need to be together!  I need you, Gohan!  Please?"

            He stood there in silence.

            "Then let me come with you," she pleaded.  "Maybe your memory will come back, but we need to be together!"

            "And what if it doesn't?" he asked harshly in frustration, "What then?"

            Videl tried to say something, anything to convince him to stay or to let her go with him, but the words were caught in her throat.  All she could come up with was: "What about your family?"

            Gohan's stoic expression did not waiver, "I'm sorry but I need to do this alone. And I think the sooner I leave the better.  Perhaps we'll meet again Videl, I'm sorry."

            His aura flared around him and he shot up to the sky.  And like that, he was gone.

            Videl kneeled at the hilltop unable to move, trying desperately to disbelieve what had happened.  She tried to cry, but all she had was emptiness.  Her hand was still outstretched where she gripped his arm.  The rain continued to pour down, unrelenting.  It rained for a long time.

_            That's how my journey began.  Looking back, I guess I could've done things differently but at the time I didn't know what to do.  How could I know where the journey would take me?  All the sights, sounds, and experiences were there for me to explore.  But although this story ends, my journey was just beginning..._

-Words attributed to Gohan's Journal from an unspecified date

**The End**

**(but not really...)**

**A/N:** I would like to thank all the readers and reviewers for sticking it out for the long haul.  I appreciate your patience and patronage.  Your words of encouragement and criticism have made this story better for it.  I would like to thank BubblyOne (my wife J) for helping me to finish the last damn sentence of this thing!  Without her this mess of a story would still be incomplete.  Thank you!

            For those that are reading BubblyOne's stories she is still looking for her missing chapters!

            Anyway, this story took a long time to complete.  Between moving from California to Georgia (since my wife left the military, she got back from overseas without any problems thankfully), we're still trying to settle in.  It's tough finding time to write and post since our old dinosaur of a computer died.  Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

            The sequel to this story will involve Gohan wondering the world, trying to find himself.  Meanwhile, Videl won't be sitting idly by either.  The bond between them is weakening and it's causing severe problems for the both of them.  Matters are further complicated when Gohan meets a mysterious girl and a budding relationship starts between them, further weakening the bond.  But, all is not as it seems.  Videl and Gohan will cross paths again and both their souls will be at stake.  I hope you tune in to it.  I have no idea when the first chapter will be written, but I'll try and get on it ASAP.

I hope you enjoyed it, and please don't kill me for the ending!  It'll get better, I promise!

-Mezzic

mezzicstorm2131@yahoo.com


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